


If I Had A Heart

by Wolfietheartisticsoul99



Category: Call Me By Your Name - All Media Types
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe, Blood, Consensual Sex, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fluff and Smut, M/M, Murder, Mystery, Past Rape/Non-con, Recreational Drug Use, Romance, Strong Language, slowburn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:53:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 23
Words: 93,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27113588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wolfietheartisticsoul99/pseuds/Wolfietheartisticsoul99
Summary: Elio is a 24 year old born into a family of  wealth, the Perlman’s are known for having  a high reputation within their community, and are known throughout Seattle  for throwing lavish parties, for the wealthiest of the wealthy.Oliver is a 32 year old escort who comes to Seattle to escape his family life and find his own happiness by ditching the escort business all together and becoming a famous writer. However, it is on one particular September night that Oliver is entertaining a woman  who is a guest of a very wealthy family and it is through this experience that he ends up running into the 24 year old Elio and the two hit it off so well, that it slowly sparks a flame that is surely to grow over time. However, what was a night of fun  turns into a nightmare when it is heard through the grapevine that Mr. Perlman is dead and Oliver is found with blood on his hands and Scared he flees the Perlman’s house and goes into hiding, and will do anything to clear his name because he knows he is innocent. but now that Elio has had a taste of him, he wants more and he will do anything to get him even if it means going out and finding his father’s killer himself.
Relationships: Marzia/Elio Perlman, Oliver/Elio Perlman, Oliver/Scarlet Domenguez(oc)
Comments: 36
Kudos: 13





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hello Everyone! ^_^ 
> 
> Just wanted to give a quick shout out to all of the Charmies! and the lovers of Call Me By Your Name this is my first fanfic that is an AU of this beautiful book and movie. that being said all of the characters minus Scarlet, Robert, the cartel, and the detectives in this story are not mine. They belong to their respectable owner Andre.
> 
> This story will be uploaded as each chapter is completed so please be patient with me as I learn to navigate the site thank you! 
> 
> I would prefer 18+ Only please and trigger warnings will be in place at the beginning of each chapter that is posted. All edits are made by me and when you see ' ' it represents the characters inner thoughts since I don't know how to italics yet lol 
> 
> Hope you enjoy the story! ^_^

Prologue 

Summary: “Keep your hand there until the ambulance arrives, when the cops arrive!” his voice was racked with pain, he had tears in his eyes, but somehow he had remained calm during such an event. It was scary to me, I had never seen something like that before. “I’m sorry, Elio. I am so sorry!” he kept repeating and then I watched him run off into the night, without so much a goodbye. 

“Wait! Oliver! Don’t leave me alone!” I yelled out but he didn’t look back, he didn’t even stop. He left me there holding my dying father’s neck, I could hear the gasping, as he tried to catch his breath, but couldn’t due to the large gash across his neck. 

‘Traitor! Traitor! Traitor!’ 

“Hold on papa, just hold on, help is coming! They are going to help, just don’t try to talk, it will make things worse. Fuck! There is so much blood!”

(Notes: This story is a Call Me By Your Name fanfic that being said none of this actually happened obviously! None of the characters mentioned in this story are mine apart from Scarlet, and Diez as well as the detectives working on the case! Oliver, Elio and the others belong to their respective owner Andre Aciman, some of the dialog from both “Call Me By Your Name” and “Find Me” will be sprinkled here and there to give some context to help move the story but other than that this story is mine, it came from my own imagination any other credit will be given as each chapter goes a long and will be put in the notes either after the summary or at the end of the chapter! 

*Trigger Warning*  
This story will be dealing with sensitive subjects such as murder, possible mention of rape, drug use such as smoking weed, sexual content and violence, as well as gore and strong language. Now that you are aware of this please be safe and do not read this if you are easily triggered. I will be putting time stamps and marks where there will be places you can skip throughout the story in the notes section so you are aware of it. Thank you! And enjoy the story! ^_^ special thanks to my best friends and all who gave me the inspiration and determination to write this and be brave with putting my stories out there. I love you all! <3 )

Seattle, Washington Police Department: September 12th, 2020

The air is cold as I am being escorted through the halls of the police station, wrapped in a blanket to keep warm still in my pajamas wrinkled from being wadded up on my bedroom floor, walking in my sneakers with no socks on, my hair is a mess from sleeping, my nose pink, my cheeks dampened from all of my tears, blood covers my hands, the metallic penny like smell still is stuck in my nose from moments before the cops arrived. 

“Keep your hand there until the ambulance arrives and when the cops arrive.” his voice was racked with pain, he had tears in his eyes, but somehow he had remained calm during such an event. It was scary to me, I had never seen something like that before. “I’m sorry, Elio. I am so sorry!” he kept repeating and then I watched him run off into the night, without so much a goodbye. 

“Wait! Oliver! Don’t leave me alone!” I yelled out but he didn’t look back, he didn’t even stop. 

He left me there holding my dying father’s neck, I could hear the gasping, as he tried to catch his breath, but couldn’t due to the large gash across his neck. 

‘Traitor! Traitor! Traitor!’ 

“Hold on papa, just hold on, help is coming! They are going to help, just don’t try to talk, it will make things worse. Fuck! There is so much blood!”

Oliver was the one that called the cops, I ended up finding him with blood on his hands and instead of explaining how the blood got on his hands, he just told me to press my hands on my father’s neck to try to stop the bleeding. 

By the time the cops and the ambulance had arrived my father was gone, he was cold in my arms, I can still hear the gasping of his breath, the gurgled, strangling like noise that sounded out as he fought for life. My right hand pressed to his neck, my left holds his hand as he continues to shake on the floor. His eyes staring up into mine with such fear and uncertainty. 

Maman was in tears. I can still hear her broken hearted sobs and wails as she tries to come close to me, Mafalda screams and nearly faints at the sight before us. 

“Just step right in here, Mr. Perlman and we can get started. Is there anything we can get you?” His voice is somewhat sympathetic, yet very professional.

The detective motions for me to enter one of the interrogation rooms, holding the door for me he steps aside to allow me inside first. 

"No thank you." I mumble lightly as I walk past the threshold of the door and enter the interrogation room. 

It was as I expected it to be a metal table in the middle of the room with two wooden chairs sitting across from each other, the bars on the windows, the walls concrete, a large glass window that was to my left with blinds covering it, the hard concrete flooring.

'This room looks how I feel numb, dreary and depressed.'

The moment my butt touches the chair I am greeted by two detectives who sit down in front of me. 

One of them has long black hair pulled up into a ponytail, a beard, oval shaped eyes(grey), brawed shoulders, short legs and he looks to be about in his early 40s. Dressed in a navy blue suit and a red tie with a ship pattern on it. A sort of scowl painted on his features, he makes me uncomfortable for some reason, maybe it's because he looks intimidating or is trying to be. 

The other is a woman, to be in her late 30's tall, skinny, long legs, dressed identically to who I assume is her partner, her hair cut short and in a similar style that was close to Oliver's. Skinny fingers, cut finger nails, with sympathetic eyes and a soft smile. She is clearly feeling sorry for me, the empathizer of the pair. 

"Okay Mr. Perlman, why don't you tell us what happened from the very beginning. Go slow, take your time and just tell us what you remember."


	2. Chapter 1: Oliver

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Oliver you have entirely way too much shit bro! Where do you think you’re going to put all of this after I leave?” A hispanic man in his mid 20’s, 5’8 with dark cropped hair, dark brown eyes, dressed in a Seattle sea hawks jersey and jean shorts comments as he huffs and puffs up the stairs carrying a heavy cardboard box in his hands. 
> 
> “Oh come on, Carlos it’s not that bad just a few more steps man and then you can put the box wherever you want. I can take care of the rest by myself.” I say patting his shoulder, as I pass by him walking down the metal steps of my new apartment building, sweat dripping down my face, my legs tired as I make my way back to my car to dig out the last of my stuff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter it is rated pg 13. ^_^ Also the pov will alternate throughout the story and Oliver is 32 and Elio is 24 in this AU.
> 
> Not much happens in this chapter just a little bit of Oliver's backstory and a little bit about his friendship with Carlos.

Seattle, Washington: May 25th, 2020 Midday, 111, Rockwell street, #103: Oliver’s Apartment 

Oliver

“Oliver you have entirely way too much shit bro! Where do you think you’re going to put all of this after I leave?” A hispanic man in his mid 20’s, 5’8 with dark cropped hair, dark brown eyes, dressed in a seattle seahawks jersey and jean shorts comments as he huffs and puffs up the stairs carrying a heavy cardboard box in his hands. 

“Oh come on, Carlos it’s not that bad just a few more steps man and then you can put the box wherever you want. I can take care of the rest by myself.” I say patting his shoulder, as I pass by him walking down the metal steps of my new apartment building, sweat dripping down my face, my legs tired as I make my way back to my car to dig out the last of my stuff. 

The drive from California to Seattle was long but well worth it in my eyes. I was needing a new change of scenery and just wanting to get away so that I could start writing my new book. See, I am an aspiring writer. It's what I had always wanted to do as a kid, after reading so many goosebumps books in elementary school then graduating on to the books of the king himself Stephen King. I figured that since he drove all the way to Colorado and came out with “The Shining” then I thought I could pretty much take a page from his book(pardon the pun) and do the same thing myself. Well… almost the same and my buddy Carlos offered to come along for the ride and help me unpack. 

Carlos and I grew up together in the same city Santa Monica to be exact. He was my neighbor when my family first moved there when I was a kid, he was the first person that came up to me unprompted and said hello. So from day one this kid showed me around the city, showed me all of the favorite spots to get food, drinks, and when we got older he showed me where the best place to get weed was. The two of us were inseparable from then on if there was anything I or he needed, we were there for each other through thick and thin. 

“This should be the last of it.” I say stomping up the steps for the final time, my breathing coming out hard and heavy as I set the box with all of my favorite books down on the living room carpet. I collapse right beside Carlos on the floor and let out a sigh, running my hands through my dark brown hair, and closing my eyes, trying to slow the fast pace of my heart beat. 

“Good! I don’t think my fat ass could carry one more thing into this apartment.” Carlos nudges me with his shoulder playfully and I shove him back in good nature. “Man, I’m hungry, can we please get some grub before I leave?” I watch him rub his stomach in big circles before patting it, making me laugh. 

“That’s what you get for smoking five blunts during the whole trip. Car, you need to pace yourself man.” I tease having decided that I had rested enough, I get to my feet and he flips me off playfully as I reach out my hand towards him to help him up. Which he takes gratefully and I smile wide at him. 

“Says the man that smoked more than me!” Carlos shoots back shoving me towards the door, my long frame budging only slightly as the both of us laugh like a couple of idiots. Heading out the front door, I shut it behind me and we head down the stairs to the car. 

***

After a game of rock paper scissors we decided on eating at a place called Maria’s that was across town. 

It was a little hole in the wall mexican food place that looked like it was from the 1920’s but had a very traditional family feel to it though I wasn’t too sure about the colors when my eyes fell on it, when we stopped the car in the parking lot and I put the car in park, turning off the engine. 

We stare at the building for a moment looking out through the windshield. 

The outside was colored bright yellow and dark navy blue. It just screamed “look at me!, notice me!” really loud and on the outside it had the different size suns that were made of glass, with the beautiful patterns painted on them. There were also bars over the windows that I had seen when I went on vacation with Carlos’s family to New Mexico for the summer. 

“Why do they put bars on the windows again?” I asked Carlos who took off his seatbelt and opened the door, letting a cold breeze flow through the car, giving me a slight chill. 

“They don’t all have bars on the windows man, maybe this particular place was dealing with burglars and got tired of their shit. Or maybe they were afraid two stoners would roll up in there and eat all their food like scooby and shaggy and not pay. You know, a dine and dash type of thing.” 

The sarcasm falls off of Carlos’s tongue and I can’t help but shake my head. “Scooby and shaggy huh? Come on man, get your goofy ass out of the car!” I say with an affectionate laugh getting out myself and shutting the door behind me, making sure to lock it behind us as we stroll across the gravel parking lot and head into the restaurant. 

*1 hour later*

“Carlos thank you so much man, for doing this with me. I don’t know what I-” 

He holds his hand up and shakes his head to stop me from getting all emotional on him even though I am so grateful to have had the help to get here. 

“Just promise me that when you become famous you don’t forget about me. Alright, and when you get rich bro, I better buy my ass a mansion with a lot of honeys in it like Hue Heffner you know, what I’m sayin.” he laughs, “nah, bro but seriously, take care of yourself Olie and don’t forget to text, write, email don’t be a stranger.” 

I hug my friend tightly well, as much as you can hug a person while sitting in a subaru crosstrek then unbuckle my seatbelt and step out of the car, switching places with him. 

We had brought my motorcycle with us so while I kept my motorcycle here, Carlos could drive my car back to California and use it to go to work since he didn’t have a car of his own, thanks to his cousin Robert wrecking it during an illegal race. 

“I’m gonna miss you man.” I say with all the sincerity in my voice as I give him a small fist bump then I take a step back from the car and say, “Welp Later!” and he cracks up starting the car. I watch him zoom away blasting spanish rap music all the way down the street until he is out of sight. 

Once he is gone I turn and head up the steps going inside the apartment building, taking the stairs slowly until I reach my door and shove my key in turning the key. It gives a soft click, then I push the door open, stepping inside shutting the door behind him, locking it back. 

I toe off my shoes at the door and drag my tired body through the hallway, turning the corner into the living room that is right next to the kitchen, and plop down onto the leather sofa. Staring at all of the moving boxes that I have to unpack, I give an inward groan, this is the sucky part about moving to new places, you're excited because of the move and then you finally get all your shit in the house. Then all the excitement wears off when you realize you have to take all your stuff out of those boxes and organize things. 

‘ yeah, no not today. Too tired and need sleep. It will all still be there in the morning for you to deal with.’

I think to myself as I feel my lids becoming heavy and my limbs start to sag, my body starts to relax against the cushions and soon I am no longer staring at the boxes on the floor but at the inside of my eyelids. 

***

The next morning, I wake up around six o’ clock in the morning to a semi dark living room, a soft rumble of thunder and the very unmistakable sound of the soft pattering of rain against the window. 

‘Lovely I guess I won’t be going out for a jog this morning’  
I wipe my hands over my face trying to get the sleep out of my eyes, yawning I can smell my own bad breath and sweat in my shirt, my muscles seem heavy and my mood is very sluggish due to the weather. I don’t know what it is about rain but when it rains, all I want to do is go sleep or snuggle up with a good book to read, or to simply lay in bed and snuggle with a significant other. 

I manage to get up and maneuver my body to a pile of dark wooden drawers, that are stacked up on top of each other in the corner up against the east wall of the living room and begin to dig out the clothes that I plan on wearing today. Then go about stripping my wrinkly sweat smelling clothes off my body and toss them across the room to the laundry basket that holds my gaming system in it. (hey I was still tired okay, don’t judge me! I do take good care of things.)

I pull on an old ratty t-shirt and a pair of my dark grey sweatpants then go about unpacking the important stuff first. Keurig machine, coffee cups, and good old starbucks coffee pods. I take the machine and the other stuff into the kitchen, set the coffee machine on the counter, I plug it in first, pick out a particular flavor of coffee, set it to the side, and turn on the faucet filling up the Keurig with water. 

I pick up my phone and turn it on. I go to my text messages and shoot Carlos a quick text to see if he made it home alright and press send while waiting on the water to fill to the line. 

It doesn’t take very long and I am soon attaching it back to the machine, popping the pod into it and then setting my batman coffee mug underneath the machine, pushing the button just as I hear my phone go off. 

C: Hey bro! Yeah, I just got in this morning. How are you doing?

O: I’m fine. Just woke up and haven't even been here long and it’s already raining! 

C: Dang! So what are you gonna do today?

O: I’m going to unpack all my shit and then I think I am going to be looking for a job so my ass won’t be broke forever. XD

After I send the message, I set my phone down and turn my attention to the coffee that now drips into the cup and the smell of pumpkin spice fills the kitchen. The very smell of the coffee makes my mouth water and my stomach gives a soft rumble.  
I grab the warm cup and gently blow on the steam that rises from it, placing it to my lips and take a drink moaning in satisfaction, feeling the deliciousness going down my throat and warming me throughout my body all the way down to my toes. I hear my phone goes off again and I look at it, opening the text message. 

C: Good luck bro let me know how the job hunt goes. = 3  
O: will do!

Once I feel fully awake enough to function, I drink down the rest of my coffee and set the empty mug in the sink, then head into the living room taking my phone with me. I flip through my music playlist and set my phone on the mantelpiece, and clap my hands together, looking at all of the boxes before me. 

‘ where to start? Where to start? Where to start? I guess I could start with my bedroom and work my way to the living room. Eh, either way it needs to be done.’

I settle for starting with the bedroom because let’s face it, who wants to sleep on a bed without soft sheets and their pillow? Not this guy! So I grab my bedroom box and head to the back of the apartment, heading down the hallway and turn the doorknob, bumping the door with my hip so that I don’t drop this heavy box on my foot and disappear into the room. 

The very layout of this apartment is so small that I can literally put my arms out and touch each wall. I also have to duck in order to go through the doors of this place. It’s ridiculous but it is home for me for now until I have enough money to buy an actual house. So I won’t be complaining too much about the architecture. 

My room is also small, my bed sits in the middle of the room up with the headboard against the wall, my dresser sits on the west wall next to my closet that holds my laundry room and the rails to hang my clothes up. My bathroom is also in my room which I am used to but the closet thing is definitely something that I have never seen before so… yeah this is going to be interesting. 

There is a window seat on the right side of the room that compliments the room and actually looks nice. (Not that the apartment is one of those that doesn’t look nice! It is one of the nicest apartments I have ever stayed in. there isn’t anything gross or falling apart, or missing about it like you see in typical Hollywood movies when the character moves into one.)

‘ okay Oliver focus’ 

By lunchtime I am halfway done with putting my things where I want them in the living room and I stand back admiring my handy work with a grin and it has also stopped raining for the time being so for me that is just a plus.

I decide to head off into the bedroom and take a quick shower to start my day off right and pray that I can find a job quickly, begin to work and get things going for me. When I first came across this place, the landlord told me that the rent would be $425 which should be paid the first of every month, so anything would help at this point, grant it this is not the first apartment that I have ever lived in so I know how things work. 

When I was living in California, I had stayed in an apartment with Carlos when he was going off to college unsure of what he was going to be as a teenager unlike me. He decided that college was the best route for him and I supported him in his decision, we decided it would be a good idea to move in together to save money and that turned out to be an interesting situation because of all the crazy shit we got into back then. 

That landlord was a 40 year old cougar that would often go up to our apartment to “check” on things to see if they were working properly. Which is something they are supposed to do but this would only happen, when Carlos was not home and I was there by myself. Safe to say nothing ever happened between me and this woman, I let her know that I wasn’t interested at all and I was too busy focusing on my writing career to care for her advances. She stopped coming up after that and would send someone else from her staff to take care of things if we needed it. 

Rent there was $550 a month so the cheaper the better! 

I take my clean clothes into the bathroom with me and set them on the counter top, snag one of my towels from the cabinet and start the shower. The water sputters and shoots like a sprinkler at first, before it finally goes into a steady stream and I step underneath the warm spray, lathering myself up from head to toe, with body wash and soap making sure to get every single crevasse of my body. Rise off then grab the bottle of shampoo and squeeze a generous amount into my hand then massage my head with it, keeping my eyes closed I find myself humming the words to a song that I have had stuck in my head for months now as I rinse off and turn off the water. 

***

After I get dressed and look somewhat presentable I grab my jean jacket and slip it on, snag my phone, stop the music and grab the keys to my motorcycle, along with my rucksack, slipping on my converse and heading out the front door. 

I take the ever winding staircase down to the first floor(I live on the third floor) and stop by the front desk where a woman who is in her late 70’s sits dressed in a green loose fitting T-shirt and jean capri pants. Her dirty blond hair teased into curls that came down to her shoulders, her brown eyes met my blue ones and she cracked a smile that showed small dimples in her cheeks. Kindest old lady I have ever met in my life with a bit of sassiness and a mouth that could make a sailor gap, she spoke her mind and whatever came out it didn’t matter what anyone thought of her.

“Well good morning Oliver, how is my new tenant doing? Getting everything settled okay?” her voice had a very sweet tone to it. She reminded me a lot of my bubbie back home. 

“So far so good, Miss Rosey got any mail for me today?” I give her a soft friendly smile in return and she shakes her head no then replies,

“Mail comes on wednesdays Oliver. Sorry, must have slipped my mind you know my late wife Margret used to say that I would be in the looney bin by now if it wasn’t for her.”

“Oh, I don’t think your memory is all that bad Rosey, I mean I forget…. Oh god! I forgot to turn off the coffee pot thank you for reminding me!” 

I turn on my heels and quickly run up the stairs two at a time, all the way back up to my floor and as I do all I can hear is Rosey’s cackling laughter behind me.  
‘At least I made her day’ 

I thought as I shove the key in the lock and hurry inside my shoes squeaking across the linoleum flooring as I headed straight for the kitchen and quickly pushed the button shutting off the machine completely. 

The whole apartment smells of pumpkin spice now and I let out a sigh of relief that I didn’t burn the apartment down to the ground, unplugging the Kurige for good measure just in case. 

I take the rest of the coffee and pour the hot contents into my travel canister and place it into my rucksack, closing it up tightly I head back out with the hope that I will have a good day. 

***

My motorcycle zooms through the wet streets of Seattle, splashing through the puddles as I move and weave in and out of the cars very carefully and meticulously, just enjoying the slight cold breeze that comes with the speed. I keep going until I see a coffee shop that catches my eye with a now-hiring sign on the front door, written in big bubble letters. 

I turn off at a red light and turn right into front of the shop, stopping and turning off the engine, throwing the kickstand down with my left foot, I pull my helmet off of my head, swing my leg over dismounting the bike and set it on the seat of my bike. 

Fluffy Enigma Coffee shop, 657 Marketstreet

The shop was filled with customers coming and going, some on their phones, others are sitting at their tables playing on their laptops, while sipping their lattes.

The color scheme of such a place was definitely pleasing to the eye with all the warm colors giving it a relaxing atmosphere where people could come and enjoy good musical talents from local students who were going to college there. Have a good time, whether it was hanging out with new friends, old friends, or for writers like myself. 

“Hi! Welcome to Fluffy Enigma! What can I get for you today?” A woman with red curly hair, light blue eyes wearing a black apron with a plastic name tag attached, the name Alysha written in pink sharpie says in a cheerful voice. Her smile is bright and friendly. 

“I was wondering if you guys were hiring and if you were could I please have an application?” I say politely trying not to stare at the chopsticks that hold the woman’s hair together. 

“Certainly! The applications are over there in the plastic holder by the front door, fill it out and bring it back say… around 9 am tomorrow that is when the hiring manager will be here her name is Bridget Walker-” 

“Okay, thanks!” I give the girl a wink and then make my way to the front door, snagging one of the papers out of the holder. I fold it twice and place it into my rucksack, then head back outside to my bike and head on to the next place. 

For a good solid hour and a half I go from all over seeing about those who are hiring and grab application after application most of them giving me cards with their website on them, while a selective few still use paper applications. Back and forth, and back and forth I grab them and stuff them in my rucksack, then hall my ass back home by lunch time. 

I toss my rucksack onto the coffee table, dig out my laptop from a box that sitting to my right and boot it up, while it is waking up, I take out my phone and make a quick call for Dominos delivery and order a large pepperoni pizza with extra pepperonis along with a liter of cola. Ending the call soon after. 

“Now let’s see if I can’t crank out a few chapters of this book.” I open up google docs and get everything set up to write the first five chapters of my book. I had made a plan to at least get five chapters done a day so that I wouldn’t get caught in the trap of a time crunch and become overwhelmed as some writers often do when they are writing. 

I was feeling very optimistic at the moment and thought that writing would be a good way to relax myself after unpacking most of the house for the day. I would do my applications later I had decided. 

I open up a new document and stare at the cursor, the slow constant blinking like a turn signal of a car.  
‘This isn’t that hard Oliver, you have written things before’ 

‘Yes, but that wasn’t a book, it was just my thoughts about what I was feeling, poems mostly not a book.’ 

Blink

Blink 

Blink

As if it is taunting me, mocking me for being so slow as if to say, “I am blinking faster than you fingers are moving let’s go! Moron!’ I chuckle to myself. The beginning is always the hardest part of the writing process. My problem is… I am overthinking something that is so simple I know what my book is going to be about and I know who my characters are and what is going to happen but for one reason or another maybe, it's both that I can’t seem to make this cursor dance across the screen. 

I sit there some more until a good solid knock at my door and I run to get my wallet off the counter, then head to the front door, opening it to see a kid no older than nineteen maybe, holding a pizza box in one hand, coke in the other. He gives me a grin and tells me the total, I give the kid a twenty dollar tip along with the money I owe him and tell him to keep the change. 

Hey, every little bit helps. 

I wait until the delivery boy is half way down the stairs before I shut the door and take the box, along with the coke with me, sitting back down on the couch. 

“I need some background noise it’s too fucking quiet in here. Maybe that’s the problem, just need a little push to get going, nothing wrong with a little help right?” 

I get up from my spot and go to my dvd collection and pull out unsolved mysteries the series from the 80’s and 90’s popping it into my dvd player, hit play then head back to my pizza. Setting the box in my lap, flipped open and twisting the bottle cap of the coke off with a satisfying hiss I kicked back, relaxed and let Robert Stack’s voice and the creepy ass intro music that scared me as a child fill the apartment with inspiration.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a fun fact, about the unsolved mysteries thing, yes this was an actual fear of mine as a kid growing up in the 90s sitting there trying to watch this show with my mom in our house at night when it would come on and being scared shitless of that damn theme music! XD 
> 
> The name for the cafe I got from a fantasy name generator because I couldn’t really decide on a name for it. If you have never used this site before they have some pretty interesting names on there, that can be used for roleplay, writing stories etc. so I recommend taking a look at it also the names are free to use. 
> 
> https://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/
> 
> This is where I got the picture of Armie from:https://armie-hammer.com/photos/thumbnails.php?album=230&page=2(armie blackout movie)
> 
> Just a small note about this pic I know it is a pic of the character "Tommy" from Blackout but in this story this is what Oliver looks like before he looks like what he does in Call Me By Your Name ^_^ which will be explained in the story.


	3. Chapter 2: Elio

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Proto? Papa! maman! It’s good to hear from you, how are you?” I can’t stop the happiness that sweeps over me as I hear my father’s voice on the other end of the phone. As I walk through my hotel room with a towel wrapped around my waist while another I rub over my hair with my right hand, my left holding my cell phone for a brief moment until I can put it on speaker, setting it on the dark wood dresser.
> 
> I had not heard my parent’s voices in a long time, 3 months to be exact since I had gone been busy working hard on my music career it started with small bars around the local area of New York when I moved from Seattle to go to Julliard after we left Crema when I was a kid. 
> 
> “Elly- Belly! We are doing good! Congratulations on your interview with GQ we saw the pictures.” 
> 
> ‘Oh God! That is so embarrassing! Not over the pictures of course they are just pictures but what I didn’t need was my family knowing about my love life.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is finally here! Chapter 2 now it is Elio's turn! okay so just a couple of things first, this chapter gave me hell I don't know why it did but this took forever for me to write. I guess I was overthinking things a little too much lol
> 
> After this chapter the point of views will alternate between Elio and Oliver possibly for the rest of the story unless someone else is just dying to talk XD but it will be stated who in the beginning of the chapter. 
> 
> Also thank you so much for the lovely comments! ^^

Hotel Embassy Suites, San Antonio: Downtown, 125 East, Houston street- May 25th, 2020

“Proto? Papa! maman! It’s good to hear from you, how are you?” I can’t stop the happiness that sweeps over me as I hear my father’s voice on the other end of the phone. As I walk through my hotel room with a towel wrapped around my waist while another I rub over my hair with my right hand, my left holding my cell phone for a brief moment until I can put it on speaker, setting it on the dark wood dresser.

I had not heard my parent’s voices in a long time, 3 months to be exact, since I had been busy working hard on my music career. It started with small bars around the local area of New York, when I moved from Seattle to go to Juilliard for schooling. With the help of some of my father’s connections, I was able to get references after I had graduated from there and began my journey as a professional musician.

“Elly- Belly! We are doing good! Congratulations on your interview with GQ we saw the pictures.” my father pointed out, I can hear the smile in his voice, I can picture his face in my mind, the pepper salt beard, his loving wise eyes. 

‘Oh God! That is so embarrassing! Not over the pictures of course they are just pictures but what I didn’t need was my family knowing about my love life.’ 

“You look so handsome in these pictures darling. Tell me, are you well?” Her voice is filled with tender concern. 

“Yes, maman I am. I just got done with a show tonight, I am back at my hotel room and was going to head to bed early. But things are going really well, the attention is crazy. I had a few people come up to me tonight and gave me two hundred dollars as a tip.” 

“Oh that’s great Elio! I’m so proud of you!” I hear my father say into the receiver and then I hear him say, “Son when are you coming home? We miss you.”

“I will be in Seattle from August to September after I go to Ohio, it is the last stop on my tour. I miss you both so much, how is Mafalda and Anchise? I got the gift basket of peaches yesterday." 

"At the moment she is cooking all of us lunch. They are both doing well, Anchise caught a big catch this morning so we will be eating fish for the next month!" 

I chuckle shaking my head shifting around my suitcase for my pajama bottoms and a t-shirt, as I drone on and on with my parents telling them about the concerts, my fans, some a little crazier than others who like to stalk my hotel room and ask for autographs. 

"You have turned into quite the musician Elio I am so proud of you!" My father is beaming on the other side of the phone.

"Just be careful when meeting people darling. There are some people who can be very obsessive and have no sense of boundaries. I don't want you getting into something that could cause you more harm than good." 

My mother cautiously warns and I smile to myself at her concern. 

That is something I will always love about my parents is their constant care and support of me but at the same time allowing me to grow and be my own person. They never hover over me or make a fuss like Mafalda does a lot of the time, when I was growing up always complaining about one thing or another. 

"Elio, non tieni mai abbastanza in ordine la tua stanza, devi imparare a pulire di più! Non sei un bambino!"

"Fumi troppo. Dovresti smettere, non fa bene alla salute.”

My mother would often tell her that I was seventeen and that she should just let me be. But I know in her own way Mafalda was also just looking out for my well being and cared about. 

A soft steady knock at my door breaks off my conversation and I quickly throw on my shirt, pulling it over my head, soothing it out the best that I can. I really wasn’t expecting company at such a late hour.  
“papà, ti voglio bene e ci vediamo molto presto! Adesso devo andare, ho bisogno di riposarmi per il grande giorno.” I say a little too quickly and hang up the call. 

“Coming!!!!!!” I call out as I zip up my suitcase and place it back over by the chair in the left corner of the room, then head over to the door. 

‘Maybe it’s a fan wanting an autograph? I told Fredric(bodyguard) that I didn’t want any visitors after 8pm. I want to have a nice quiet evening to myself.’

I try to make myself look as presentable as I can running my fingers over and through my hair, trying my best to tame my curls but alas, it is futile. They bounce back into place like having copious amounts of hairspray, unmoving and I give a sigh, I am exhausted and just want to relax. 

I wipe my hands on my sweatpants then place my hand on the door and open it slowly expecting to see some teenage group of girls, all gathered around at my very door, pens, markers, even programs of tonight’s show. 

“So how did you guys like the sh-” I stop when I realize there is not a girl of girls but a girl dressed in a white sundress with flowers printed on it, her hair long and beautiful, laying over her left shoulder, her eyes cast downwards, peeking up at me through her eyelashes, her hands clasped in nervousness, her bottom lip hidden behind her teeth. 

“What were you expecting... someone else?” her voice shy and soft like honey, as I give her a wide smile, I take her by the hand and lean out to look down the hallway. First my left then right, I pull her into the room with me and the door shuts.

The moment I hear the click, I am pulling her into an embrace and my lips meet hers in a passionate kiss, my eyes close. I can smell the peaches, waves of the ocean, the sun on her very smooth skin, her giggles filling my ears as I break the kiss from her lips and kiss her all over her face. She makes me miss home. Italy. 

“Marzia. How?!!!! When?!!” I ask in my excitement I can barely contain myself as I hold her hands in my own, taking a step back to take a look at her. Taking all of her in from head to toe.   
“Your papa arranged it a few days ago, he called me up when I was in Boston and told me where you would be staying. So I decided to come and see you, I just didn’t think you would be in your pajamas idiot.” she replies affectionately, laughing and my heart sings, while my cheeks warm with embarrassment.

“Boston? What were you doing in Boston?” She leads me over to the bed and we lay down together, side by side with our heads resting on the headboard, our hands clasped together, legs straight out in front of us.

“I was performing with my violin at the Orpheum Theater.” I felt her callose fingers caress my cheek, and her eyes studying me, her brown eyes filled with tenderness. “

“Tu m'as manqué, mon amour m'embrasse encore?” I obligue with a soft chuckle, giving Marzia a light peck to her lips, before turning onto my side tucking my arm just underneath my while the other kept a hold of her hand. 

Marzia and I... our relationship happened as most relationships happen we started out as childhood friends who would play together. My family and hers were next door neighbors when we lived in Italy, her father and mother would come over for evening wine and cheese, talk about all things political and nonpolitical. Sometimes they would have conversations for hours on end about many different subjects in which I was too young to understand. So Marzia and I would often disappear to my room or we would ride bikes, running around in my yard among the peach trees, playing tag or hide and seek for hours without a care of what was going on in the outside world. 

When we got a little older I began to find her attractive. Very attractive, in fact I compare her beauty to my mother’s favorite flower, an orcid. She laughed at me when I told her this but at the time, it was the only words that I could express to her at the time. That was when I was 12 years old and had no experience in romance as I had thought I did at the time, but we had many things in common, the biggest being music. 

She dreamed of becoming a violinist and I supported her dream of becoming one, not because I wanted her to like me romantically. It was more so her passion for music that did it. 

My parents however kept trying to get us together, and just knew we were going to be together. That it was destiny or something for us to be together, to the point that her mother and father would say,   
“vous regardez ce n'est qu'une question de temps avant qu'ils ne se marient et aient des enfants. you watch it is only a matter of time before they are married and having children.” Her mother said, to mine while they were sitting out by the garden smoking together at the breakfast table. While my father was out on one of his searches for another statue.

“Le temps nous le dira” my mother said softly, “Time will tell.” 

I sometimes wondered if she had always known, like mother intuition or something a bit more at the time and now I fully believe that she was right as I stare into my now girlfriend’s loving eyes.

When I turned seventeen my feelings for Marzia only grew and grew from there forward, so I decided to take the very scary step of asking Marzia out. By way of a note, a little grade school I know, but it was the only way that I could express my feelings to her without feeling like a complete idiot and decided that this was the best way to do it. 

Of course after three attempts she finally said yes and we have been together ever since and have been doing the whole long distance thing. Which is hard but we both have an equal amount of trust in each other and she trusts that I won’t do anything to betray such trust. 

“I missed you too.” I replied, smiling softly as I turned my head and gently kissed her palm, her other  
hand rubbing my back with her skinny hand, our bodies coming closer into a face to face form of spooning with each other. 

We talked for five whole hours and watched television together, before I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer and she could tell that I was going to drift off at any minute. I tried to fight it by disguising my constant eye rubbing for there being dust in my eyes and Marzia instantly saw through my faking and hit me playfully in the arm. 

“I come all this way to San Antonio and you want to go to sleep! I see how you are!” she teases as I rub my sore bicep, glaring at her before a yawn steals my voice for a witty comeback.

“Marzia, I just got done with a 20 song set tonight! Give a man a break huh? As I told you I wasn’t expecting anyone to come to my hotel room. I was going to go to bed early but my parents had called before you came so…” 

She rolled her eyes and laughed at me, I frowned and narrowed my eyes at my girlfriend. “What?!” I want to know why she is laughing at me. My voice was a hint of laughter and sweetness. 

‘I love this girl with all my heart.’

“You should go to sleep. I am not going anywhere, I will be here for a few days and then I will be going to England…” she pauses when I give her a questioning look silently. “An interview with another magazine, and then there is some photographer from Vanity Fair who wants to photograph me.” 

She explained to me and I gave a nod of my head, gently leaning into her hand, as she stroked my now dried hair that had been wet from my shower earlier. My nose filled with her sweet scent of perfume, her touch was so slow and caring, her fingers rubbing my scalp lighty with her fingertips. It wasn't long before I was fast asleep with Marzia holding me close to her fingers, not stopping their movement. 

That night I dreamed of Crema, of my parents, those lazy amazing summers underneath the peach trees, drinking Mafalda’s lemonade, hearing papa’s laughter, my mother’s loving hugs. The warm breezes that would often blow as I rode my bicycle down those country dirt roads that often lead to my parent’s villa and to the little and the rainy days of laying across my parent’s laps 

***

The next morning I was greeted with a ping on my phone indicating I had a notification waiting for me. It was a text message from my uncle Luca. I open the text message and see my face on the cover of the GQ magazine that I had done. There was a series of serious heart emojis underneath it and I laughed out loud, shaking my head with a fond smile spreading across my lips as I read the message just underneath the emojis. 

L: mon ange! (my angel) Oh so handsome!!!! I read the article written about you so muah! I love it! Elio, I miss you, you must come to Italy again.   
Mon ange. My angel. That was my uncle’s nickname for me ever since I was a child. He said that it was when he got to hold me for the first time, that I looked like an angel and that my dark curls looked like a halo around my head. That I had the sweetest of smiles that only grew bigger with my age and I continued to blossom into the man that I am today. From that day on the nickname stuck and I saw no problem with the nickname at all compared to the nickname my father gave me.

My relationship with my uncle is a very loving, trusting and close one. Like my parents, I can tell my uncle Luca anything he never judges me for any of my life decisions. He is always encouraging me, giving me advice, when I needed it and I would find myself in the deepest of the conversations with the man. Talking about movies, love, life, filmmaking and other things, the things that would leave me deep in thought afterwards.

I stare at the text for a second trying to compose the words in my head before I put them into physical words. 

E: Thank you uncle I miss you too! 

L: When are you going to come see me ange? 

E: I am going to be in Ohio in a few days. After I plan on going to Seattle for august to september taking a small break it’s maman and papa’s wedding anniversary. 

L: ahhhhh thats right! 

E: lol yeah so I am going to be there staying with them. Hey! You should fly down and party with us! 

L: I will have to check my schedule Elio. I am in the middle of trying to get my next movie off the ground and so far things are going…. How you say… shit. 

E: *laugh emoji* I’m sorry uncle v.v hard time finding inspiration?

I set my phone down on the bed and go to my suitcase pulling out my clothes for the day and make sure to hang up my suite in the laundry bag to go to the cleaners. 

“Now where did I put my other shoe?” I look around and Marzia waves it back and forth having finally woken up as she comes out of the bathroom, dressed in a robe and her hair up in a towel. I hadn’t heard her get out of bed or even heard the shower running. I was practically dead to the world last night.   
“You should be better organized.” she comments coming closer to me when she is within reach, I grab her by her hips, her arms wrap around my neck and I kiss her forehead.

My phone pings and I have a feeling that it is my uncle answering my text finally but I don’t bother with it. Marzia is here, I don’t want to be rude by being on my phone all day conversing with my movie director uncle. My mother taught me better than that and if she knew that I was on my phone then I know she would scold me for it. 

“I am very organized!” I counter gently my eyes in mock shock, and she raises her eyebrow, her mouth pulling upwards into a smirk as she gestures with her hand indicating for me to look around the room. 

“You call this organized? Elio, how long have we known each other? You are soooo not organized as you think you are and that needs to change. Mafalda is not here to pick up after you and that man that likes to stand outside of your door, is obviously not the maid and I am not going to pick up after you either.” 

"Aww come on! I am not that bad and you know it." 

"You left cigarette butts all over the attic! that one time, I was there and we were making love no? And the place smelled of smoke for months! And don't get me started on the piles of clothes stranded all over your room!" 

"Okay so I have a bad habit." I shrug with a light sheepish grin. " It will go away with time and what about you! Miss, I like to leave chip bags on the table. Hmmm?" 

She shoves at me with her hand and walks away from me going to her clothes that are left on the dresser and turns to me with her shirt in her hands.

"Turn around." 

"Marzia we have seen each other naked multiple times. We have even slept that way there is nothing-" 

She cuts me off making me laugh. "So that means nothing! Be a gentleman and turn around or have you forgotten what your mother taught you hm?" 

"Fine." I give a playful exasperated sigh and make a scene of spinning on my right foot, facing the wall, crossing my arms.

“You can look now.” 

***

After much debate and telling my bodyguard that he could have the day off, we decided to explore the city by walking the river walk and taking silly pictures with each other doing funny poses and faces much like we used to do when we were kids. When our mothers wanted us to take family photos in front of our house on my birthday, and we weren’t in the mood to take pictures so we would often mess them up by making faces at each other instead.

There was a slight chill in the air, the sun was out, the sky clear with the clouds drifting across the lovely shade of blue. 

The riverwalk was long and lined with rows upon rows of umbrellas with tables and chairs that sat along the river making it look like a giant rainbow had stated residence there. I thought they were just sitting places for people to relax but then I realized, there were a bunch of restaurants that ran along the river as well. 

San Antonio was huge, bigger than Crema. I was in complete awe by all of it even though my mouth was hanging open, my eyes wide and Marzia just laughed at me. Then suddenly she stops and points to one of the boats on the river turning to me. She gives me a begging look. 

“Ooo regarde Elio! pouvons-nous faire une promenade en bateau s'il vous plaît! si romantique! cela me rappelle le temps où nous sommes allés à Venise avec mes parents et sommes montés en gondole!”

She stuck out her lip and gave me the biggest brown eyed puppy look, her hand taking mine, she held it to her chest. “Please Elio. it will be fun!” She sings songs.  
“Alright sounds fun, lets do it!” I give her a smile, squeezing her hand as she jumps up and down in excitement planting a kiss on my cheek. Before she drags me down the riverwalk and we head to a light blue boat that looks like a tiny rectangular fairy much like the bigger version of the fairy back home in New York City.

“We would like a ride please sir.” I say to a man with a bushy white beard dressed in a navy blue shirt, and tan pants, with sunglasses on his face who was standing in the boat, one hand shoved in his pocket, while the other was idly playing with his phone scrolling through it. 

“That will be thirteen fifty for each person.” His reply is matter of factly. 

When he looks up you would have thought he saw a movie star or something the dude became starstruck for a second. Not really saying much, just standing there with his eyes widened and inhaling a breath, he looks at me then at Marzia who seems a little confused by what is going on right now. 

“A...are you…. I mean, you can’t be him.” he stumbles to get the words out and I patiently give him a smile. 

“Can’t be who?” 

“Elio Perlman.” 

I rub the back of my head and I immediately begin to feel my nerves hitting me. I’m still not used to what fame I have nor the status of being very well known, so when people literally react this way when they see me. I forget that my private life or what is supposed to be private isn’t so private anymore. 

Again I give a polite smile and remind myself that if it wasn’t for my fans, I wouldn’t be at the status that I am no matter how talented I was. Remembering this taught me to stay more humble than what I already was and I was grateful for any and all opportunities that my music gave me along the way. 

“A fan I assume.” the man puts away his phone and sticks out his hand, shaking my free hand as Marzia continues to watch us. 

“Marcus Freeman. My daughter Jeniffer is a fan of yours. I brought her to your concert last night and I was hoping to get an autograph from you but we got down the steps too late and you were gone.”

“Oh my sincere apologies Marcus it was a very hectic night. You wouldn’t happen to have a piece of paper on you and a pen do you?” 

***

Meanwhile… 100 yards away

“Yes, we have the target on site . He is on one of the boats heading down the river with a girl. The bodyguard is nowhere to be found, Mrs. Dominguez I can send you the information from last night.” 

The sounds of a camera constantly clicking a mile a minute goes off into the air. 

“Good, make sure you don’t lose them.” A woman’s voice can be heard over the other end of the line.

To Be Continued.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay now we are getting somewhere! finally! the ball is finally rolling people so Chapter 3 we shall be meeting the mystery woman on the phone? why is she interested in Elio? find out In the next chapter! 
> 
> Also all of the pictures that you see are from google and the edits you see are of my doing. ^^ oh! there will also be a trigger warning for language and talks of drugs in the next chapter. 
> 
> much love and stay safe! <3


	4. Chapter 3: La Dama Del Nilo(The Lady Of The Nile)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My father once told me stories about La Dama Del Nilo and La Dama Del Mundo(the lady of the world) the two most powerful women in all of history. Or so he proclaimed, these stories often told of a young girl destined to be Queen of the Nile and the other the Queen of the world. Two best friends that were so close like sisters yet through greed and jealousy it ripped their relationship apart and caused a giant war between the two to and caused them to go their separate ways one to Africa the other to Paris. Every night I was told that story and never knew why? Until the day he died. What I found out later was that the story was actually true! But it wasn’t two sisters that fought each other. 
> 
> La Dama Del Nilo was my mother's nickname given to my mother after she met my father. Due to her undeniable beauty and her long raven hair that went down past her waist and her ability to enchant others much like the nile river. As for La Dama Del Mundo, well, I found out that it was my grandmother who tried to keep my mother from my father and why? Because my father is none other than Horacio Dominguez aka King of Sinaloa. And I am Scarlet Rosario Dominguez destined to become La Dama Del Mundo myself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is Chapter 3! I am so proud of myself a new character being introduced and the story is moving along! ^^
> 
> I don't know any other languages except for English so if the spanish translations are wrong I apologize I used google translate for it. Also the picture for Scarlet comes from google and I would like to say I have nothing against this actor I like her but she was the closest I could get to my original character. 
> 
> The only trigger warning that I can think of for this chapter is drugs and language.

Previously….

Meanwhile… 100 yards away

“Yes, we have the target on site . He is on one of the boats heading down the river with a girl. The bodyguard is nowhere to be found, Mrs. Dominguez. I can send you the information from last night.”  
The sounds of a camera constantly clicking a mile a minute goes off into the air. 

“Good, make sure you don’t lose them.” A woman’s voice can be heard over the other end of the line.

Seattle, Washington: 101, Peach street, house# 111: May 25th, 2020

Scarlet Dominguez

“Good, make sure you don’t lose them.” 

The moment I hung up the phone I had a feeling in my gut that something terrible had happened that something had gone wrong in the plan. Why? A minute later while I was at my desk shifting through some important documents involving a very important client. My idiots, and yes, I call them my idiots because just like in the movies good help is very hard to find and people willing enough to do their job with a little incentive of course.

“Well… did you get what I asked for?” I tap my recently manicured fingernails on the table in front of me, my eyes trained on the man in front of me. He seemed nervous, sweating almost as if he was too afraid to speak and I chuckle on the inside. 

‘I love intimidating people it is so much fun to watch them’

The 5'8 man tosses a large envelope on the desk and I look at him with a stern expression on my face, holding up my hands to him in a harsh gester. 

“Edwardo, I wanted you to open it for me. I can not touch anything with my nails trying to dry! You know this, don't you have a wife of your own at home?” He can see that I am clearly annoyed and apologises to me and picks the envelope back up and opens it, taking out its contents and setting them on the table in front of me. 

My eyes glance over multiple pictures of this curly haired boy and I smile with glee, my heart beating wildly at the excitement and anticipation. 

“Did you get the information I requested?” 

“I had to do a little bit more digging and intimidate a few people on our end but I got them.” he replies in a deep voice, smirking clearly proud of himself, thinking he did a pretty good job. 

He opens up the next envelope and it contains a schedule, concert times, addresses, and even phone numbers, along with family information. 

“It looks like everything is here. Thank you Edwardo you may go now.” I say not looking at him as my dark eyes scan over everything that is in front of me and I grin from ear to ear elated that I now have the information I need to begin my latest project. 

‘This will do nicely. Yes, papa would be very proud, I am well on my way to becoming La Dama Del Mundo papa. You paved the way for me and now it is my turn.’ 

My father once told me stories about La Dama Del Nilo and La Dama Del Mundo(the lady of the world) the two most powerful women in all of history. Or so he proclaimed, these stories often told of a young girl destined to be Queen of the Nile and the other the Queen of the world. Two best friends that were so close like sisters yet through greed and jealousy it ripped their relationship apart and caused a giant war between the two to and caused them to go their separate ways one to Africa the other to Paris. Every night I was told that story and never knew why? Until the day he died. What I found out later was that the story was actually true! But it wasn’t two sisters that fought each other. 

La Dama Del Nilo was my mother's nickname given to my mother after she met my father. Due to her undeniable beauty and her long raven hair that went down past her waist and her ability to enchant others much like the nile river. As for La Dama Del Mundo, well, I found out that it was my grandmother who tried to keep my mother from my father but it did not last. 

My mother and father eloped anyway, and they moved from New Mexico to Seattle with very little financially and then 4 years later after becoming US citizens my parents decided to have me. 

I was a curious, sweet and basically daddy’s little princess always pinning for my daddy’s attention and he would give it to me. Hugs, kisses on the cheek and my face, he would also spend time with me when he could tell me bedtime stories, tea times and playing pretend. A little girl’s dream right? 

Well, one particular day that all changed and I saw something that I really shouldn’t have…

*flashback* 

Dominguez family home: dining room, Evening: 6:00 pm 

I was playing in my room when I heard my father talking in spanish and I poke my head out of my doorway and look down the hallway. My eyes wide, sweet and innocent the moment that I see daddy I smile, and run down the hallway my only thought is I want daddy to play with me. 

I keep hearing the words “mover el producto hacia el este” as I steadily head down the hallway, my little feet sound like thunderous slaps against our hardwood flooring, my tiny arms sway as I move towards the dining room. 

The word “daddy” is on my lips but the moment I get to the end of the hallway, I peek around the corner and I see daddy. His eyebrows narrow, his expression is stern, his hair wild, I can feel the air change to something very tense and I am no longer smiling when I notice that my daddy isn’t alone there is a man sitting with him.

‘Who is this man and why is he here?’ 

“Scarlet sal de allí y ve a lavarte las manos para cenar, por favor.” my little body jumps at the sound of my mother's voice, chiding me as she turns me away from the scene.

“mamá, ¿quién es ese hombre con papá?” I ask looking up at her with my brown eyes, wanting to understand. 

“conversación adulta no para niñas pequeñas como tú.” Her voice is soft yet firm and her slender fingers grip my shoulders, guiding me away pushing me towards the bathroom, watching me as I get the urge to find out more about what is going on.

That was the first time I had been caught I was 5 then and once I had that night after I went to bed, my curiosity only got worse and worse over time, so much that I couldn’t help myself. I found myself finding every excuse to figure out what was going on with my father and these strangers. While my mother would continue to say “adult conversation not any of your business.” and would make me go do my homework, or make me stay in the kitchen with her as she taught me how to cook. 

The second time I was caught was when I was 13 years old and just as before I would see a different person coming in and out of our house. All of them are different, the conversations at the dinner table, my father’s serious face, his voice stern, sometimes taking on hushed tones as if he is telling a secret and sometimes I see my father slip a stack of money into the stranger’s hands.

Once again I am not out in the open where my father can see me but as always my mother chides me again. This time however, I gave my mother a talking back which is a big mistake on my part. My mother's hand connects to her chancla and I watch her pull it off. Then within not even a breath that I can take that chancla flies and gives a very loud, echo sounding…

*smack!* 

*smack!* 

*smack* 

My bottom stings and I grit my teeth as I force myself not to cry as the tears well up into my eyes as my hand flies back and my knees buckle as my mother holds onto my wrist tightly. 

Mexican traditions, rules, and one of those rules is you don’t talk back to your parents especially your mother or you will not only feel the wrath of her but you will be punished with the only tool. That will haunt you for the rest of your life that trumps all of the superstitions and once you hear the noise of it, you will never get it out of your ears or your memory. 

La chancla. Every kid’s true nightmare.

The third and final time that I was caught it wasn’t by my mother but my very own father, I was 19 years old at the time and this time it wasn’t at the dinner table that I caught him. 

I was walking home from school with a few of my friends, my school bag over my shoulder and we were having a conversation about boys, about who we were wanting to ask us to prom. That is when I stop suddenly on the street and my friends all look at me and say my name.

“You guys go on ahead, I'll see you tomorrow.” 

“papa que estas haciendo ¿Qué era eso en tu mano?” I say running up to my father and the man who is standing next to him looking around suspiciously. When he sees me his eyes widen and he shoos the man away quickly then he begins walking to his car as I chase after him. 

“no es asunto tuyo Scarlet.” I hear him say and I scrunch my face in anger, I grab him by the wrist and stop him dead in his tracks as I yell at him, all of my frustration dripping out of me. 

“papá ¡ya no soy un puto niño! es mi negocio tu eres mi padre y quiero saber qué está pasando! ¡Deja de esconderme cosas o le diré a mamá lo que estás haciendo!” 

He glares at me then and jerks his hand away from me and grabs me by my elbow and shoves me up against the wall. His breath a mere inches from my face, his eyes bore into mine and I can see the very heated anger in his expression. As he dares me to speak another word, fist clenched to his side, I can see the vein in his neck pulse as he speaks to me harshly in a way that he has never spoken to me before. 

“¡No le dirás una palabra sobre esto a tu madre o haré que te arrepientas niño! Soy tu padre, conoce tu lugar!” he hisses through clenched teeth as I don’t even flinch, straight faced. 

“¡Conozco mi lugar y ya no soy una niña! ¡No soy tan estúpido como crees!” I stand my ground as he takes a step back from me, my jaw clenches. As I watch him fight with me verbally in our native tongue, it breaks my heart we use to be so close to him and I and now….

“Go home Scarlet and help your mother.” His voice is stern and straight to the point but I don’t move or budge not even once. I stand there crossing my arms. Defiant. Strong willed just like him, in every way like him.  
“solo ... por favor papi, quiero estar cerca de ti como solíamos ser, eso es todo lo que quiero.” my voice cracks. I want to cry but don’t and I watch him sigh. I see a look across my father’s face, and I watch the gears turning in his head. 

Then I watch his face change no longer hard but a soft, tender, smile spread across his face. That is my daddy. That is the father I know, the one who used to play with me as a child and he crooks his finger at me. 

I walk forward and he places his arm around my shoulders and squeezes me affectionately, I look up at him in silence, as we walk together. He must have caved under my beg, because the next thing that comes out of his mouth not only shocks me but it makes me smile too. 

“Scarlet, es hora de que aprendas el negocio familiar.”

That day I learned the biggest confession of my life, My father is none other than the king of Sinaloa. One of the biggest drug cartels in the world. 

*Flashback ends*

I chuckle at the very thought of my father, back then I thought he was being ruthless and heartless but now that I think about it and see how far I have come, my father was only doing his job. To teach me to be stronger, and fight for what I want in an industry that is very cut throat quite literally and has dangerous consequences. 

This is my father’s legacy and my destiny. My name is Scarlet Rosario Dominguez and I am going to become La Dama Del Mundo really soon. I plan on it!

As I stare down at the photos an idea comes to me and I quickly grab my cell phone off of my desk, soothing my fingers over the dark curls of this Elio. then punches in the number and waits for the ring, a male voice comes over the speaker and then I hear…

“Hello?” 

“It’s me. How is business going?” 

“It’s not too shabby but things are starting to dry up over here. You gotta give me more of the new stuff cuz, people are starting to get really bad man, please. I’m going to lose my business permanently if I don’t do something!” 

I ponder over his words for a moment as I read into Elio's background with my eyes, I write notes down on my notepad in quick succession and then it hits me. An idea so perfect even my father would have been impressed by my quick wittiness and keen eye for intelligence. 

“My dear cousin, you have to go where the money is, and where the money is flowing right now is the escort business. It is the perfect cover for us, I mean you could own the business and get yourself some escorts who are willing and able to do the job. Meanwhile, we will use them to push our product to our customers. It is a clear win win situation for everyone.” 

‘ And I will be getting extra money to make more products and papa’s legacy will grow then soon I will be on top of the drug empire and ruling the world! Just like papa always dreamed of doing himself.’

“And this is why uncle Horacio put you in charge and not me.” he says with a dry laugh, I can hear the jealousy in my cousins voice and I laugh. 

“I gave you an idea, now run with it.” I say flatly. “There is something I need you to do for me, and I need to listen to me very carefully there is this guy….”

“Oh god! Not another one of your boyfriends. Scarlet no, I am not listening to this, I am hanging up now.” 

“He isn’t my boyfriend. You idiot is an important part of what we are trying to do and I need you to keep an eye on him for me. There is a concert that is supposed to be happening during his time here, we need to make sure he doesn’t screw up my plan! Do you understand me? I am so close to going into the next phase of my plan and I am going to need your help so are you with me or not!” I hiss into the phone and I hear my cousin snort.

“Sí, sí, sí, escuché que tu perra no te subas las bragas en un giro. ¡Todavía no puedo creer que tu padre haya nombrado a tu jefe que debería haber sido yo!”

“That’s mrs bitch to you! And you better be nice to me, if it wasn’t for me you wouldn’t even have the business that you have now so shut up and keep me posted.” 

After that I instantly hang up the phone and sit back waiting to see my plan unfold before me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Sí, sí, sí, escuché que tu perra no te subas las bragas en un giro. ¡Todavía no puedo creer que tu padre haya nombrado a tu jefe que debería haber sido yo!”
> 
> translation:"yeah yeah yeah, I hear you bitch don't get your panties all up in a twist. I still can't believe your dad made your boss that should have been me!"
> 
> “Scarlet, es hora de que aprendas el negocio familiar.” = ""Scarlet, it's time for you to learn the family business."
> 
> “solo ... por favor papi, quiero estar cerca de ti como solíamos ser, eso es todo lo que quiero.”= Just ... please daddy, I want to be close to you like we used to be, that's all I want."
> 
> “¡Conozco mi lugar y ya no soy una niña! ¡No soy tan estúpido como crees!” = “I know my place and I am no longer a girl! I'm not as stupid as you think! "
> 
> “¡No le dirás una palabra sobre esto a tu madre o haré que te arrepientas niño! Soy tu padre, conoce tu lugar!” 
> 
> translation: You will not say a word about this to your mother or I will make you regret it child! I am your father, know your place! "
> 
> “papá ¡ya no soy un puto niño! es mi negocio tu eres mi padre y quiero saber qué está pasando! ¡Deja de esconderme cosas o le diré a mamá lo que estás haciendo!” 
> 
> translation: “Dad, I'm not a fucking kid anymore! it is my business you are my father and I want to know what is happening! Stop hiding things from me or I'll tell Mom what you're doing! "
> 
> “no es asunto tuyo Scarlet.” = "It's none of your business, Scarlet."
> 
> “papa que estas haciendo ¿Qué era eso en tu mano?” ="Dad, what are you doing? What was that in your hand?"
> 
> “conversación adulta no para niñas pequeñas como tú.”="Adult conversation not for little girls like you."
> 
> “mamá, ¿quién es ese hombre con papá?” ="Mom, who is that man with Dad?"
> 
> “Scarlet sal de allí y ve a lavarte las manos para cenar, por favor.” = "Scarlet get out of there and go wash your hands for dinner, please."


	5. Chapter 4:Fluffy Enigma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver gets used to Seattle and his new routine, while he does he ends up making a new friend and finally gets a small break that he is looking for. Meanwhile, Elio and Marzia spend the last two days together in San Antonio doing something they didn’t think they would enjoy. 
> 
> This took forever to write! ._.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everybody! ^^ This is where we begin to go back and forth in povs just so you guys don’t get confused this chapter will start off with Oliver then go to Elio’s pov. As for Trigger Warnings I don’t think there will be any right now but if it changes I will gladly let you know. )

May 30th, 2020: 6:00 am

Oliver 

When I woke up this morning I was filled with nerves as I went about my morning routine throwing on my track pants, a t-shirt, socks and my shoes, snagging my phone off the dresser. Then head to the bathroom to brush my teeth.   
As I stare at myself in the mirror I realize that I have dark circles under my eyes, my hair uncombed and sticking out everywhere like I had slept on my head. I was also in need to shave again as I saw the beginnings of my beard coming in, not that I mind, but sometimes I liked keeping my clean look. But I decided that I would shave after my run. 

Last night I had spent the rest of my time after eating, filling out application after application until my hand was cramping up and basically forcing me to stop for the night. Finally going to bed around 1 am dragging my body onto the covers not even bothering to take my clothes off or to get under the covers. That was four days ago and now all I was doing was waiting, waiting, waiting to hear from someone to call and give me a chance at an interview. 

I step out of the bathroom after putting my toothbrush away and turning off the water, turning off the light I head out of the bedroom and stuffing my phone into my pocket, after taking the much needed time to look at the weather. 

It was supposed to be sunny today, all day and I was feeling very optimistic about getting a new job even if my nerves were trying their hardest to get to me. My mind is trying to push intrusive thoughts directly to the forefront of my brain, to make me question my abilities of being confident among the sea of competition that I was clearly up against. 

‘Just focus on your run, the music and nothing else… nothing else.’ 

I told myself as I walked down the stairs and headed out the front door of my building, waving to Rosey as I passed who gave me a subtle wave back as she drank her morning coffee. 

***

Once I am outside on the sidewalk, I plug my earbuds into my ears, plug the end into my phone and go to my playlist that I use for when I am running and tap the screen. The guitar riff to “You are” fills my ears and then Eddie Vedder’s voice, I give it a few seconds and then allow my feet to move each step I take moves with the drums steady beat. 

I found that my favorite route to take is running from my apartment building all the way to Centennial Park. I enjoy how open it is and being able to be close to the bay is a plus for me. It reminded me of home, it brings me a calmness every time I run near it. I grew up near the water and loved swimming in the ocean.   
In the middle of my run, my music had paused suddenly and I felt the vibration of it in my pocket as my ears heard the ring of a phone call. Panting I stop running and pull my phone out of my pocket, pulling the earbuds out of my ears. 

I put my phone to my ear. 

“Hello?” I answer trying to calm my racing heart as a woman’s voice comes to the other line. 

“Is this Oliver Willows?” 

“Yes, it is. Who is this?” I wipe my forehead with the back of my hand as I move out of the way of a couple of cyclists who were speeding by on the running path that leads to the park. I was halfway to the river when I received this call. 

“This is Bridget Walker from Fluffy Enigma one of my works said you brought in your application on the 26th, we have been trying to get a hold of you to set up an interview but no one answered. So I was calling to see if you were still interested in setting up an interview.”

‘Oh shit!’ 

“Yes, Bridget I am so sorry! I apologize I get lost in my writing sometimes and forget that-” she cuts me off suddenly 

“Please Oliver, no need to apologize I completely understand. I am a writer myself so I know the fully immersed feeling that comes along when you are in the zone.” she chuckles and I smile feeling my nerves settle down, and clear headed. 

“Thank you.” 

“So are you still interested or not?” she asks, going back to her professional voice and I knew it was back to business.

“Yes. of course I am still interested, when would be a good time for you Bridget?”   
“When would be a good time for you?” She shoots back and I answer automatically, without any hesitation as I turn back around and start heading back to my apartment. 

I looked at my phone and it was only 7:15 am. I had to go home and take a shower it wouldn’t be very professional to show up in a sweaty tracksuit. 

“Would 8:00 am be good?” 

“That would be perfect! We open up the shop at 9 am so that will give us enough time to talk before the customers come barging through our doors and my attention is taken up.” 

I laugh. “Thank you very much for the opportunity Bridget.” 

“See you then!” she tells me before she ended the call and my music comes blaring back into the open air in my hand. 

***

Eight o’ clock came soon enough and I found myself getting nervous again, as I rode my bike to the coffee shop after a much needed hot shower. I felt better after running for even though I didn’t go very long than my original time and I only went half way down my route. 

I quickly park my bike in the parking lot, hopping off and pulling off my helmet, then walk across the parking lot with long determined strides, putting a confident smile on my lips, I go straight into the coffee shop. 

Once I enter I see a woman dressed in a business suite with black high heels, with long brown hair pulled into a bun, her makeup flawlessly painted on her face, her brown eyes looking down at her phone, texting her thumbs going a mile a minute. 

“Bridget?” I say coming closer to the table where the woman was sitting and she looked up at the mention of the name, gave a friendly smile as she stood up from her chair, soothing out of her dress pants. Then she held out her hand towards me, and I shook it in greeting. 

“Oliver. I presume, good of you to show up. I was beginning to think that you weren’t going to show up.” she says in a teasing tone, as she lets go of my hand and sits back down in her seat, then motions for me to join her.

The chair scrapes across the floor and it gives a loud squeak like nails on a chalkboard and I cringe a soft hiss come out of my mouth. “Sorry.” 

As we talked the workers were moving around going about their opening routine while my interview was going on and I knew that Bridget was doing this on purpose. She was trying to see if she could keep my attention while her workers were putting down the chairs that were sitting upright on the table. Bring bags of coffee from the stockroom, along with making blueberry, banana, chocolate chip, and cinnamon muffins. 

I kept my azure eyes on her the entire time, never faltering as the delicious smell of the muffins and the smell of coffee beans fill the air and expands outwards toward my nose, I hear my stomach growling but I ignore it as I tell Bridget about work background as she writes down a few notes onto her white paper legal pad. 

“I worked at a small local grocery store as a teenager, I was a cart pusher and slowly made my way up to a cashier after 8 months of busting my hump and getting so many sunburns, before I finally got a raise. Then after that, I decided to try my hand at bartending for a while which was fun, I got to learn how to make thousands of drinks. My other job was working for my family at my father’s oil company, I was his errand boy for at least 4 years before I decided to move away from California to pursue my passion to be a writer.” 

I watch her nod her head as she takes the information, writing a few more notes and then sets her pen down on the paper. She clasps her hands on her notepad and tilts her head intrigued, she looks me up and down then says, 

“So Oliver how good are you at making coffee?” 

“I would say that I am fairly decent. I haven’t screwed up yet if that’s what you're asking.” I say with a nervous laugh, trying to hide it behind a smile that doesn’t reach my eyes. My hands dropped from the table into my lap as I kept my eyes on Bridget, my heart in my throat, I was beginning to sweat as a silence fell between us and for a moment I thought she was going to say no but to my surprise it was the exact opposite.

“You start today.” she smiles holding out her hand to me again and it takes me a minute to register what she just said. 

‘Did she just say what I am thinking she said?’

“Thank you Bridget for this opportunity!” I say in excitement.

She begins to show me around the shop, taking the time to show me where everything is and where it is all stored from the cups to the espresso machine, while the other workers continue to set up, their eyes following both Bridget and I, some of those eyes staying on me a little bit too long. I just give them a warm smile and continue to listen to the manager as she goes over to the wall where a chalkboard hangs up against the wall. 

“This is where all of the specials of the day go if there is a new drink coming out, then we write it on the chalkboard that is on Fridays. We like to be creative around here, so if there is some type of flavor you think of and you want to contribute then feel free to throw your opinion out there. ” 

I nod and step to the side as a girl with black hair with a light pink streak running through it, says “excuse me.” and moves to clean up a spill of milk that I had stepped around that was to the left of the counter on the floor. 

“I’m sure that once you get the hang of things it won’t be so overwhelming but don’t worry, my team will make sure that you feel right at home here. I will put an order in for your uniform, I will print out a schedule for you before you leave today and you will start out minimum wage, Fridays are payday, and you will need to keep shaven, your earrings are fine but you will need to cover up your tattoos if you have any on your arms.”

Bridget’s voice was light but she was a literal fast talker that made my head spin and I had to ask her a few times if she could please repeat the important things again. So I didn’t feel like a doofus for not doing what was expected of me. 

“Do you have any questions for me?” She turns to me looking up at me as we walk back to where we were sitting and I shook my head. 

“Nope I think you pretty much covered everything that was in my head, Bridget.” 

“Okay Willows, get a rag from the storage room, wipe down the tables and once you're down with that please sweep the floor. Welcome to the fluffy family.” she smiles at me.   
As I watch Bridget walk away I give a relieving sigh feeling like Atlas having the world on my back and someone suddenly grabbing it and saying, “here let me help you with that.” and taking it away, giving me air to breath. The hard part was over I had a job now, and I hoped that everything would just fall into place after that as I thought,

‘Well I fucking nailed that meeting!’

***  
Elio 

After the boat ride we decided to stop at one of the restaurants for a bite to eat for lunch then we were going to check out the San Antonio zoo. I had never been to a zoo before, not even when I was younger, I don’t know if it was because I wasn’t interested in going to a zoo or if it was due to the fact that in Crema there wasn’t one. But I thought it would be interesting to go with Marzia since it would be her first time as well. 

“So… what do you plan on doing with your music?” Marzia tilts her head at me lightly pondering my question, tearing off a piece of her bread and dipping it into her soup, as I take a sip of my earl grey tea, waiting for her response. 

“I don’t know yet.” she admits. “I think I want to just continue playing music and just see what happens to me you know? comment dites-vous ... suivez le courant. Go with the flow. Why? What do you want to do with your music, Elio?” 

I set my cup back on the saucer and lean forward resting my hand on top of hers. “Well… I was thinking about making an album. Just a demo album to sell just to see if people will buy it, or maybe even send it into a record company and see if they like it well enough to want to sign me. So I can do bigger shows you know like in Madison Square Garden.”

She giggles. “So you want to be like all the other musicians in America, a famous big shot just on the classical side of the coin.” She teases me and I toss a tiny piece of cracker at her, which she dodges. 

“Hey! Not all musician stories are tragic ones; there can be an exception among the bunch.” I say in my defense. 

“Oh and I suppose you are the exception then yeah?” Marzia puts a strand behind her ear.  
“I could be…” my response is of uncertainty with a slight flow of playful mirth as I grab my own spoon and take a bite of my tomato soup. 

I hear a flash of a camera come from my right side and I lift my head when Marzia calls my name and points behind me. I blink licking tomato sauce off of my lips, and my brows furrowed in confusion as I look at her, when her expression changes into annoyance.

“What? What’s wrong?” I ask them to look behind me to see a group of girls with their phones out snapping pictures of Marzia and I without our permission. I give an inward groan but on the outside I smile and welcome the girls close, giving my girlfriend an apologetic smile as I push back my chair and step to the side so that I can sign a few autographs for them. 

I try to stay polite as I can and give my fans what they want then after they leave, I sit back down and Marzia shakes her head at me. 

“I hate when they do that don’t they know you are a person with your own life… I can’t even get any alone time with you without someone coming up and wanting pictures or autographs.”

I frown looking down into my bowl as I stir the soup around with my spoon, left hand takes hers and I gently rub the back of it, trying to sooth her. 

Ever since I started being on the track with my music and wanting to follow my dream Marzia has had to take a backseat to it. My fans. My music, my fame. All of it pretty much came first then her second. She had been very patient with me and very supportive but today, she was right. I wanted today to be about us. Not my fame or myself but us as a couple. 

“Come on, lets get out of here and go to the zoo. I’m sure we can find a place to hide among the animals, if someone else decides to interrupt us.” 

She gives me a hopeful smile and gets up from her chair, letting go of my hand I reach into my pocket and place some money on the white table cloth underneath my soup bowl, where the waiter would be able to find it and we continue our walk past the riverwalk. 

Once we blended in with the crowd of people who were making their way to their destinations like a group of school fish. I glance at Marzia through the corner of my eye, and notice that her demeanor seemed to change into a more relaxed state. 

As we walked I couldn’t help but get the feeling again, that feeling like we were being watched, and I looked around trying to make myself obvious, but to pretend that I was taking in the scenery of the different shops that we passed along the way. 

The longer we walked the worse the feeling got and I couldn’t help but turn to look behind us. “Elio, you are acting very strange today.” Marzia comments squeezing my waist, getting my attention once again, and I give her a reassuring smile, leaning down I kiss her hair. 

“I’m fine. I promise, I was just wondering if we shouldn’t stop and ask for directions to a bus station so that we don’t get lost.” my voice sheepish, making her chuckle. 

“You have been in this city for a week and you don’t know where transportation is? Hmm, who are you and what have you done with my highly intelligent boyfriend.” she teases poking my cheek with her index finger on her right hand. 

It wasn’t that I knew where we were going but, my mind was more focused on this feeling in my gut, that just wouldn’t leave me alone. I looked again behind us and sure enough, there was a man in dark clothing, with a hat and sunglasses that was clearly trying to be inconspicuous. Every time that I would look behind us, this man would quickly hide himself behind a corner. 

‘Who is this guy and what in the hell does he want?’

I didn’t want to worry Marzia so I suggested that we go across the street and ask this group of women, who look to be in their mid 30s, standing in front of a dress shop, if they could help us find the closest bus. 

“Excuse me ladies, could you please tell us how to get to the zoo from here?” I asked politely as we walked up to them mid conversation. 

***  
Fluffy Enigma, 1:30 pm

Oliver 

For my first day on the job, I would have to say I was doing pretty well. I managed to make five cappuccinos, seven caramel macchiatos, sold two banana muffins, and managed to clean the tables all before lunch time. 

However, when lunch time rolls around that is a different story… it was like the flood gate had opened up and the lunch crowd started pouring in a lot of people who had come from offices, college kids. Lines upon lines of people backed up to the door and there was so much rushing around that I felt like my head was spinning. 

I even had a few people yell at me for giving them the wrong order, which I knew I shouldn’t take personally but it’s hard to do your job when you have so many voices, going at one time and are trying to get every single order out as requested without any screw ups. 

“Oliver you can go on your break now. Fifteen minutes.” 

‘Thank god!’ 

I take off my apron and set it on a hook that is along the wall and grab myself a cup of coffee, make myself a turkey sandwich that was on the menu and take a seat next to the window. 

The sound of the tiny bell above the door clangs and my eyes look up mid bite to see a man dressed in a light blue button up shirt tucked into his trousers, with the sleeves rolled up, brown shoes, his hair neatly combed doaning a beard with a peppery aging tin to it, wearing glasses.

"Good afternoon." He says in a polite cheery tone, almost as if he knows me. 

"How's it going? " I reply with food still rolling around in my mouth as I chew the bite.

"Very well thank you!" He smiles at me and I can help the feeling of being drawn to this man, something about his smile has a fatherly nature to it.  
My eyes follow his form as he goes to the counter and places his order for a medium espresso with extra foam and eyes the sandwiches with delight. 

"I'll take one of the bologna sandwiches with mayo and a chocolate muffin, please. Oh keep the change while you are at it." 

The girl at the register pulls out one of the chocolate muffins from the display case. Setting it on the counter the wrapper crunches as she does so then goes about grabbing the man's sandwich. 

"Would you like that espresso in a to go cup or a normal mug this time Mr. Perlman?" The girl asks in her sweet professional voice.

"A coffee mug will do Kiki thank you." 

I watch him gently drum his fingers along the counter, just for a moment then turn back to my sandwich taking another bite, setting it down and scrolling through my phone, getting sucked onto the social media world. 

Nothing interesting catches my eye,my thumb mindlessly going up, looking at the latest trendings and some funny memes.

"Pardon me, sir. I believe you are sitting in my favorite spot." 

I look up to see the man I was staring at moments before standing next to the table, his arms full and I immediately get up from my chair, taking his sandwich from him while he sits down, he looked as though he was about to drop it.

"Oh! Um… I'm sorry, I didn't realize… here let me, I'll move." 

Setting the sandwich back down on the table, I am about to leave when he stops me with his words beckoning me with his hand. 

"Nonsense, please I don't mind having company. Sit, sit. I was merely stating an observation that's all no need to move on my account. You were here first after all." 

"If you insist," I mutter softly sitting back down, he picks up his coffee mug and takes a sip, a relaxed pleasant expression crosses his face and for a tiny fraction of a second he closes his eyes on bliss.

"They have the best coffee here in town." He opens his eyes again, setting the warm cup with steam rising from it down on the table. "Aside from Crema, now that is some coffee you must try." 

"I wouldn't know." I admit, watching him open the plastic container containing his sandwich. 

"You are not from around here." 

"What gave me away?" I pick up my sandwich and take a bite of it, chewing soundly. 

"Well… I come to this coffee shop every afternoon and I have never seen you on here. That is until today so I'm assuming you are new to this city." 

I swallow with a chuckle, "you would be correct sir. I moved here recently and you happened to catch me on my break." 

"Ah! Welcome to Seattle mister…." 

"Willows. Um… Oliver Willows." I stick out my hand to the older gentleman and his eyes widen as he nearly drops a tomato from the bottom of the sandwich trying to put it down, wiping his hand on his napkin.

"Professor Samuel Perlman. A pleasure to meet you." 

We shake hands. He has a strong friendly grip like that of an old friend you haven't seen in ages. His presence is soothing and very welcoming. 

"A professor of what?" I ask intrigued as I take a drink from my own cup, before popping the last bit of sandwich into my mouth in one go. 

"Archaeology and art classics mostly, I also paint in my spare time and hope to eventually run my own museum if I can ever get anyone to buy my paintings.

"A classics professor let me guess… roman statues? Greek literature, and mythology." 

He opens his mouth to say something but I hold up my finger. "And…. Etymology." I say with a knowing grin. 

His eyes brighten. "Flying colors." He says in awe of my ability to read him like a book and I sit back with a much satisfied look on my face. 

I look down at my phone and notice the time and curse under my breath. my break was a little past fifteen minutes, I give a small apologetic smile to Samuel. 

"I would love and stay to chat with you some more professor but, I have to get back to work. It was lovely meeting you. Later!"

"The pleasure was mine Oliver." he replies shaking my hand again for the second time today and I gather my trash, quickly getting up, pushing my chair tossing it into the trash. 

"Hey professor, could we maybe continue our conversation later?" 

"I'll be here." He replies and holding his cup up to me in a cheering motion.


	6. Chapter 5: Carter Jordan Murcoff

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In all my years on the force, I have never been more persistent, than when I was tracking the cartel of New Mexico during my time in narcotics." -Carter Jordan Murcoff

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me just say that I absolutely hated how much this chapter dragged x-x I tried so hard to push it forward, I don't know if it is all the stress of the election crap going on or the other stuff going on around me. But this next chapter is going to be a lot longer! and things will finally pick up, thinking about doing a time jump in chapter 6 I'm ready for the fun to begin and I am sure all of you are too! XD

Seattle Police department: May 30th, 2020, 1:00 Am

My name is Carter Jordan Murcoff I am 40 years old, and I am a detective for the homicide division for the Seattle Police Department. I moved to Seattle when I was in my early twenties, wanting to stick to my adventurous nature, and wanting to follow my dream of being a cop. 

Now, I am not one of those guys who wanted to be a policeman my entire life like most of the people that I work with. Nah, when I was a kid I wanted to be a power ranger, more specifically I wanted to be the red ranger and I was more than certain that I was going to be a power ranger. But it wasn’t so that dream only lasted only when I was in preschool to first grade after that my mind changed constantly from brick layer to working as a cook to finally settling for being a police detective after I had graduated high school in Chicago.

I was one of those students who rarely ever got in trouble, didn’t party, I stuck to my studies and kept my head down in my books and tried to do anything that would help me in the long term. So my college career was my work than play and by time I graduated college, I was the top of my class with a 4.0. My parents were certainly proud of me that day, my mother’s eyes were filled with happy tears and my father wore the proudest smile I had ever seen. 

I don’t remember much from my time in the academy probably because I was looking through it, with rose tinted glasses and was completely taken by a woman named Maria Gonzales. 

She was 5’3, had mocha colored skin, with chocolate brown eyes, fit as a fiddle, had a heart of gold and an attitude on her that would put a grown man’s temper to shame and was 25 years old. She was from Hobbs, New Mexico had 4 siblings, two sisters, two brothers and she was from a single parent household.  
Not to be one of those people that believes in love at first sight but, I have to say… When I saw Maria, I knew I wanted to get to know her and become friends. 

She didn’t make it easy on me, at first. She absolutely thought I was a gun ho rookie who had only joined the academy to wave around a gun and be a power hungry cop. Oh how she was wrong about me later, when she actually gave me the chance to show her my true personality, away from the academy and away from my friends that I had made.

Once she did, Maria and I became the closest of friends and began to hang out more all the way up until we both graduated from the academy. Then I took the initiative and I asked Maria out on my birthday, I was turning 24 years old. To my surprise she said yes and the rest is pretty much a long wonderful history of love, respect, and very happy years. With many anniversaries and adventures together that ended in Maria and I getting married moving from Chicago to Seattle. 

When we had moved to Chicago Maria and I tried to get into the same precinct but it wasn’t meant to be. I was placed in the narcotic department at the east precinct on 12th avenue and Maria was placed at the north precinct on collegeway, svu. 

It was during this time in my life, I was assigned to the case dealing with the Sinaloa drug cartel, one of the biggest drug cartels in New Mexico and it was through this case that I was introduced to the Dominguez family. More specifically Horacio Dominguez, the right hand, turned leader of the cartel after we busted El Chapo and gave him a 30 year prison sentence. We went out and snagged Horacio within two years after at his own home, and that was a moment in my life that I will never forget. 

*Flashback* 

Dominguez family residence, December 12th, 2003

“Horacio Dominguez, Seattle PD open up!” I banged on the door loudly, waited a few moments. Inside I could hear a child yelling and I could hear the sound of the television. 

My motion for my partner to go around the back of the house as I stayed in the front on the porch and continued to bang on the door. I repeat, “Seattle PD we know you are in there! Open up or I will break down the door.” 

In the next few seconds I hear a loud crashing sound as a woman comes to the front door and opens it. “Can I help you, officer?”  
“Stop right there! Don’t move, put your hands in the air now! Dominguez hands on your head now!” I heard my partner yelling from the back of the house. 

“Stay right there.” I ordered the woman to stay put as I went to go help my partner, who was chasing Mr. Dominguez on foot, kicking up a few rocks, the sound of crunching gravel beneath their feet. They went around in circles until finally I ceased up and full on tackled the man to the ground. 

“Don’t. You. Fucking. Move!” I say through gritted teeth, shoving my knee into his back, pointing my gun directly at him, as he cursed in spanish. 

The girl that I heard came running out of the house and ran down the stairs, she must have been 16 years old. She came over before her mother could stop her and she screamed at the top of her little lungs as we slapped the handcuffs on her dad. 

“Get off of my papa! He didn’t do anything! He didn’t do anything! “ she persisted as I waited until my partner was done handcuffing him. I then ease my knee up and I stand up, putting my hand in front of the little girl stopping her from coming closer. 

“Your dad has to come with us now.” I tried to be sympathetic to her and the girl wouldn’t have it, her eyes filled with fire. 

“He didn’t do anything!” she repeats over and over again, as she shoves at my hands and she runs towards the cop car then her mother comes running after her.

“Scarlet come away.” her mother had said with a worried look in her eyes. 

The angry girl turns to me yanking her arm away from me, when I am trying to only help her. 

“NO! Fuck off! And let him out of there! You fucking pigs, you are the worst of the worst! Coming around here and accusing my father of something he didn’t do!” she snaps with a glare.

Her father was staring out the open window and yelling at not only us but was talking to his daughter in spanish.  
I didn’t understand what he was saying to his daughter but I watched her nod then I got into the car, along with my partner and we drove off. 

*flash back ends*

Only a few months later we got the call from the prison that Horacio had died though the nature in which he had died didn’t set right with me. The coroner at the prison said that it was death by cancer but what I really think happened was one of the gangs got to Horacio before he could be put into isolation for his own protection. Now we were faced with the task of going after his daughter who rightfully so was now, in charge of Sinaloa. 

“Don’t you ever go to sleep Murcoff? I mean how long has your ass been sitting in that chair?” 

I turn my head to see my partner standing there with two cups of coffee in a to-go tray and a brown bag of what I could only guess to be chinese food or a greasy burger. As she sets down the brown paper bag in front of me with a grin, pulling up her own chair to her desk, that sits across from me. 

“I will sleep when I can figure out how to catch the scum of the earth.” I say in a teasing tone, giving a chuckle as I take my coffee from her. “Decafe?” 

“Okay superman, take a break and always.” she replies, rolling her eyes at me with a fond smile, before digging into the bag pulling out two greasy double meat cheese burgers, large fries and a stack of napkins.”Alright put the work away Murcoff and take your burger.” 

“Burger with coffee?” I asked, raising an eyebrow, the very expression on my face must have been priceless, because she narrowed her eyes at me, dumping her fries and my fries together on a open pile of napkins that she had strategically placed in the middle of our desks, then proceeded to open up the ketchup packets and squirt and generous amount on my side and her side. 

“Don’t tell me you are going to be a stubborn sonofabitch about having to drink coffee with your dinner.” she chides me, pointing a fry at me before dipping it into the red liquid. 

I laughed out loud and shook my head as I shifted around the papers, and stacked the folders to one side of my desk. Then went about opening my wrapper, straightening it out on my now clean desk, grabbing the salt and the pepper out of the bag. 

“I didn’t say anything.” I say softly, holding up my hands in defense with the packet of salt and pepper still in my hand. 

“You didn’t have to but I could tell that you really want to so out with it.” she replies with a smirk, popping a ketchup dipped fry into her mouth. 

Elizabeth Danvers was my partner in narcotics. I met her during my first time in the field of doing drug work. She was a 37 year old black woman, with medium length black hair, that barely touched her shoulders. She was of average build, she 5’4, she was scared of spiders and small spaces, and she loved the smell of cucumber mint, cinnamon and coconut.

I learned the last one, from her constantly wearing a body spray that smelled of it and I joked to her, about the fact. That if she had to keep spraying that on herself then she would eventually turn into a cucumber. Then she made a sassy comeback about me smelling like a bottle of taco sauce. 

I knew from that moment on we would be really good friends and that both of us would be amazing partners. I turned out to be right. She was a very professional woman in moments where it counted and she always had my back, each and every time that I needed her. 

“I have never and I mean never, drank coffee with fast food it just wasn’t a thing that I even thought about.” I say simply lifting my shoulders up then back down. 

***

After dinner it was back to work for us to pour over case file, after case file over the Dominguez family. Files about the last shipments made from the time that El Chapo was in charge as far as location, who the buyers were and the sellers at the time. 

“Anything?” Elizabeth asks shifting through a file from 2018 and I shake my head in irritation, as I look once again up at my partner. 

“The only thing that I can see here Liz, is the informant that we had in place at the prison had been killed only within a few months.”

This was even before we had gotten to El Chapo and arrested him, I was the one that suggested that we use an informant. one of the ex members from a rival cartel. Who wanted to see the demise of the drug king, and he was willing to be an open book of information. He gave us dates of shipments that were supposed to come in, the location and at least four of the middle men that were working for El Chapo under the table. 

“What about offshore accounts?” 

“Non traceable, no paper trail how would we even know where to look.” I say shooting down the idea quickly as I toss the file down on the table, stretching my arms above my head and sigh in frustration. It was not that it wasn’t a good idea, it was a brilliant idea but there wasn’t a way to find out at least not right now. 

***

Elizabeth spun in her chair an hour with a huff of annoyance clearly not pleased by how long it was taking Murcoff to gather his things.

They decided to call it a night after they had exhausted, looking into thousands of files from the past hoping something would help them with the present but all they found were dead informants and no leads.


	7. Chapter 6: Too Good To Be True

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver gets a visit from a stranger who claims that he can change everything. Elio goes to Ohio and ends up getting news that he didn't want to hear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we are back to Oliver’s pov but here is where we will go back and forth again between Elio and Oliver’s povs. I am unsure if I will keep the first person thing with the detectives or not since I don’t want you guys to be confused by what’s happening but we shall see!

Two weeks later… July 15th, 2020: Fluffy Enigma, 9:00 am 

Oliver 

Two weeks of me being in Seattle proved to do me some good. I had managed to jot a few ideas down for what I wanted to write my book about. I had a job, money and Samuel Perlman and I had become close since I started working at the coffee shop. 

Like clockwork Samuel would come into the shop placing in his usual order and on my breaks, I would sit down with the man and we would talk for a few minutes about anything he wanted to tell me. Whether it was his latest findings of a statue he had been in search of, or his latest painting that he was creating it didn’t matter. We talked about it and then after work, Sammy and I would go out together to a bar not too far from his home and we would drink together, shoot the shit some more then he would drive me home and make sure I was fully into the apartment before leaving. 

Today however was very…. Different. It was off and I could feel it in my gut the moment I stepped foot off my stoop and headed into work that morning. First off it was raining and this was no typical rainy day either, it felt like the damn bottom of the clouds broke open and a dam of water came bursting out in heavy buckets to the point I was drenched head to toe and the very newspaper I chad been using to keep dry, wilted so fast that the damn thing tore apart, just when I walked into the door. 

“Good lord man! You look like a drowned rat!” Kiki commented with a snicker as she passed by me, dressed in her uniform carrying a tray of chocolate muffins and four mugs of coffee over to a group of college students. 

“Thank you, kiki for the compliment.” I shook my head letting some water get on her and she giggled.

The morning went rather quickly pretty much the usual people came in and ordered it was rather slow going at first, did my usual rounds of cleaning the tables and wiping them off after each customer left. Then went about making the sandwiches for the rushing lunch crowd that would always come in. 

‘Where is Samuel? He should be walking in through those doors any second now…’

I looked at the clock on the wall and it read 12:15pm. This was the time that Samuel would come strolling into the coffee shop with his bright grin and enthusiastic attitude. I learned this from being around him and the things that I had learned while sitting with him and speaking to him as much as I had. 

By the time it was 12:30pm I began to get worried and decided to send him a text message. 

Oliver: Hey Sammy! Just wondering where you are and If you are alright. 

I waited for a good two minutes before I received a text back and sighed in relief. 

Sammy: Oliver! My sincere apologies for not showing up to the coffee shop today. I am in meetings all day about an archaeological project. 

Oliver: Oh no worries. Just wanted to make sure you were okay.

I quickly put my phone away back into my pocket and get back to taking orders, when I hear the bell above the door chime. My head snaps in that direction thinking that it was finally Samuel but it wasn’t. 

It was a mexican man with dark eyes, a neatly trimmed beard, dressed in a neatly pressed black two piece suit, the collar turned down, with diamond cufflinks, his black hair was cut short, with gel combed through it. His dress shoes were shined up and made distinct taps against the floor. 

I watched him walk over to where Samuel usually sat and I immediately stopped Kiki from walking over and she gave me a weary glance as I told her, “I got this one.” I wanted to know who this guy was and why he was sitting in my best friend’s spot, not that it mattered. Many people sit in that spot on the daily but for some reason this guy sitting there irked me and made my skin crawl. 

I walk over to the nicely dressed man, carrying one of the pads and a pen to take the guys order. When I get there to the table, he looks up at me and says, “Are you Oliver Willows?” The man’s voice has a slight spanish accent to it. 

“Whose askin?” I say slowly, keeping my eyes on the man, the feeling I am getting intensifies and the guy gives me a disarming smile. 

“Christopher Diez and I would like to talk to you about a certain job opportunity. If I could have a moment of your time.” 

‘How in the hell does this guy know my name?’

“I’m kinda in the middle of working, man and you still haven’t explained how you know me. Now, If you want to order something then, please let me know. If not, then I need to head back behind the counter.”

I tried to stay polite but this was just too weird even for me and I really wished that in this moment in time, that Samuel would just walk through the doorway and distract me from this. But I kept my voice as a matter of fact and as calm as I could, I’m not going to lie there was a red flag going off in my head that I was trying desperately to ignore just to give this guy the benefit of the doubt. 

I watch him pick up the menu, take a few glances at it then place his order for a frappe’ coffee with two shots of cream and a drizzle of chocolate on top of it. 

“I’ll be right back.” I respond and turn on my heel, heading back to the counter I take the order over to Kiki who notices my change in mood and asks in a hushed tone if I was okay.

“I’m fine but I think this guy is offering me a job. What do I do?” 

She eyes the man from across the room as she helps me make the man’s coffee and then turns her head back to me as she puts the cream, while I pour the chocolate in an impressive pattern, watching the chocolate syrup leave long streaks vertical and horizontally in a crisscross pattern, that is more than aesthetically pleasing to the eyes. 

“I say hear him out Oliver, you can always say no. What's the worst that could happen? Besides, it’s not like I am going anywhere you’re stuck with me and if anything else, you know you have a permanent place here. Bridget has a huge crush on you. So I say go for it.” 

She hands over the coffee to me and scoots me along so she can help another customer who has been glaring at us the whole time. Impatient much? 

As soon as I set the coffee down in front of him I sit down across from him, placing my hands out in front of me, crossing my fingers together. I look him dead in the eyes and say, 

“Alright, Mr. Diez I’ll bite. But first, I wanna know how it is that you know my name?” 

Mr. Diez takes a drink of his coffee, lets out an appreciative hum and makes the okay sign with his right hand, making a face of delight, setting the cup down on the table in front of him.

“Ever heard of Indeed Mr. Willows? Everyone is on it and everyone uses it who wants to find a job and I just so happen to stumble upon yours. Now, before we continue I would like to say I am not a man who plays games, and I am not the kind of man who doesn’t stick to my word. What I am about to tell may sound far fetched to you but I promise it will be worth your while.” 

‘ okay…. Where is he going with this?” 

I give a raise of my eyebrow and wait for him to pitch to me and then it comes. 

“How would you like to make six hundred to thousands maybe even millions of dollars?”

I give a joking laugh. “If I made that kind of money Christopher, I wouldn’t be living in a small apartment, and I certainly wouldn’t be here but it sounds like a scam to me. Something that sounds too good to be true, often is too good to be true and honestly, I am not about that. so thanks but-”

Christopher doesn’t seem phased by my skepticism at all. In fact he is smiling at me, from behind his coffee as I watch him take another drink, then set down the cup again, pulling out a napkin from his breast pocket to wipe his mouth, then sets it back into his suit.

“I thought you might say that Oliver, so I brought a little taste of what you could be making to maybe ease your mind a little bit.” 

That’s when I see Christopher pull out a stack of one hundred dollar bills tied together with a rubber band and toss it on the table. 

My eyes widened at the sight there had to have been at least if I was to guess, nine hundred dollars right there. I still wasn’t buying it and I think he could tell, because he pulls one of the bills out and places it into my hand. 

“Go on hold it up to the light.” 

When I do I see the “ghost” of Ben Franklin staring back at me. “Alright, what’s the catch? There is always a catch, to these types of situations so what’s yours Christopher?” 

I set the bill down on the table and pushed it back to him. “The job is being an escort, you would be having to take out clients, show them a good time-”

“Oh so you’re a pimp that goes around and pulls unsuspecting people, into a life of prostitution just to make big money. I knew it, no I’m not selling my body, for no amount of money! I would rather…” 

He puts his hands into the air in defense. “Alright. If that’s the way you see it. I am not here to push you into anything that you don’t want to do Oliver. But I am telling you, you are making a mistake especially if you ever want to follow your dream of being a writer. Writers don’t make it off of coffee shops alone, sometimes it takes them forever to get off of the ground. “  
“Oh yeah, tell that to the woman who wrote fifty shades of grey on nothing but a damn blackberry phone.” I scoffed with a chuckle. “She became famous overnight it seemed like and she was just a normal person like me, who didn’t need the push of a hustler to do it. She did it with hard work. So….” 

“Fair enough.” he says simply standing up leaving the rest of his coffee untouched, taking the stack of bills and placing it into this suit pocket while leaving the hundred on the table. 

“If you change your mind here is my card. Oh, and keep the hundred Mr. Willows think of it as a tip for the amazing coffee you are going to go far in the coffee business.” 

That last part he seemed to be mocking me as he turned and headed out the door, leaving me for a lack of a better word speechless. Sitting there at the table, I couldn’t believe what had just happened, my mind was reeling from the encounter and Kiki had to snap her fingers in front of my face to remind me of where I was and what I was supposed to be doing. 

‘What the actual fuck just happned?’ 

“Are you okay? You look like you were about to pass out. “ I blink and look up to see Kiki right by my side with a concerned expression, a worried look in her eyes then she eyed the bill on the table. Then looked at me as I got up from the table and was about to head to the back room. 

“Woah! Dude, I knew our coffee was the best on the block but I didn’t know it was that good. You better put that away, or someone is going to snatch it up.” 

I turned back and once again for the second time looked at the dollar bill, what my possible future could be and I sigh softly through my nose, I pick up the card and the money, sliding both of them into my pocket then go about the rest of the day working with the thought of mine and Christopher’s interaction in the back of my mind. 

***

That evening after work I decided to get into my comfortable clothes, lounge on the couch and watch some whose line is it anyway. I tried to enjoy the show but I couldn’t stop getting the interaction out of my mind, nor the picture of that money in front of me. Whether I wanted to admit this or not, the guy had a point I could be making so much more money than I was at the coffee shop.   
Sure I was making money and had friends at the coffee shop that I loved being around and seeing everyday. But my bills were the priority, without being able to pay them on time, they would just keep piling up and piling up. If that happened then I would be going back to California, back home and living with my parent’s under their roof and I wasn’t about to do that. Hell no! 

“I need a second opinion and a lot of time to think this over.” I told myself out loud and picked up the phone, searched for my best friend’s phone number and hit his name. 

“Oliver! What’s up homie! I haven’t heard from you in like forever!” Carlos sounds like a gangster valley girl on the other end of the line and I burst into laughter, nearly forgetting why I had called him in the first place. 

“Carlos I need to talk to you about something that happened to me.” My voice was laced with nervousness even when I knew I had nothing to be nervous about. 

“Is everything okay? Talk to me bro, did something happen?” 

“I was approached by some guy in a suit that offered me a job as an escort. An escort can you believe that shit! He even showed me how much money I could make if I said yes to it.”

Carlos was laughing on the other end and my head fell back against the couch as I put myself into a more comfortable position laying down, the phone stuck to my right ear. The fingers of my left hand drumming absentmindedly on my stomach as I wait for my friend to stop laughing. 

“You’re kidding me right? Bro, an escort? Seriously?! You!” I can hear the skepticism in his voice and I nod even though he can’t see what I am doing. 

“Yeah, crazy right? So what do you think? I mean I told the guy no. obviously… but a part of me is seriously thinking about it.” 

“Damn how much money did he show you? If you could, you wouldn’t mind sliding me some of it would you?” 

“He said I could make anywhere from six hundred to thousands of dollars Carlos and don’t get me wrong man, I come from money but that is just…” 

“Then bro I say do it! Go get that money man you wanted to be away from your parents to pursue a career in writing and you need money to pay bills, food etc. do it bro if anyone gives you any shit for it then they will answer to me. I want you to be happy Oliver. Just think of it this way, money is money no matter where it comes from so you are good in my book. You just do what you gotta do man.” 

Carlos and I talked for hours about random things at home, work, the weather, all of the very mundane things, that really aren’t that interesting just small talk. Until Carlos said he had to go then I was left alone with my own thoughts and the encounter once again. 

I hear a sudden ping of my phone and look to see that it is a text from Samuel and grin. 

S: Come have a drink with me?

O: I really should stay here and try to work on my book 

S: Come on just one drink my friend 

I laugh, Samuel is always a persistent man if I ever knew one then I thought about it and sat up, maybe a drink with a friend is exactly what I need right now. Then I could get my mind off of things that happened today and just kick back, relax, have a couple of drinks and go to bed exhausted enough to sleep. 

***

I ended up meeting Samuel in a small bar on the south side of town. He says he frequented with some of his coworkers after work. 

When I came into the bar I spotted Samuel sitting on a bar stool drinking whiskey, he turned to me and smiled holding his glass in the air as I came over to him. 

“Ah Oliver, you made it! Come, come, sit what will you be drinking tonight I am buying.” He claps me firmly on the shoulder and I give him a gentle squeeze on his shoulder before sitting down. 

“Oh no, Sammy I couldn’t ask you to do that. I can pay for my own.” 

I say trying to turn him down gently but that persistence shows again, in his eyes when he looks at me. “Alright, if you insist.” I cave with a laugh making my order to the bartender who was cleaning out a glass for me. 

“To friendship.” Samuel says, raising his shot glass to me as I pick my own up and repeat his words the sound of our glasses clinking together. 

****

Cleveland, Ohio: Elio’s hotel room, Same Night

Elio

I was very heartbroken when Marzia had to leave after our time together in San Antonio, I wanted her to follow me to Ohio. She said she had to go and that she would call me later, after her plane had landed. That was a few hours ago, so here I was in Ohio sitting on another hotel bed, trying to compose music but was lacking my creative juice to write. 

I had a sneaky suspicion that my lack of motivation was from what had happened to Marzia and I when we went to the zoo two weeks ago. Don’t get me wrong we had an absolute blast together, getting to see the lions, tigers, monkeys, bears and my favorite animal the polar bears. It was a good day and I was happy to have her by my side through the experience however, we did not expect to be chased through the zoo by the same man that had been following us that entire morning! 

At first I thought it was just some crazy fan that was trying to get my attention really badly but I was quickly wronged by this guys very odd behavior towards us. He had a camera with him so I assumed it was a paparazzi trying to get a glimpse of me and snapping pictures of Marzia. So they could use it to dig into my business as they usually did when I was out with friends to see who she was and why she was with me. 

But I was wrong again when he literally chased us past the rain forest part of the zoo that we had to hide in a small corner of a wall that led to the bathrooms. I immediately called the police and then I called my bodyguard to come and get us from where we were because I was too scared to move and Marzia was too. 

When the police arrived and the security that was a part of the zoo staff they searched the entire area and we informed them of what this man looked like and told them everything. They got to work quickly the zoo security searched every inch of the park but the guy was nowhere to be found. 

As soon as my bodyguard threw us in the back of my car we were off back to the hotel and Marzia and I were ordered to pack up our things and she left San Antonio. While I was forced on a plane as fast as possible heading to Ohio, with my bodyguard sticking to my side the entire time. He was like an iron wall that was built around me, if there were fans that wanted my attention he kept them back. 

I felt like I was being put on lock down for a crime that I didn’t commit and when then mom and dad found out. 

They were very worried and concerned with what was going on and I explained to them that everything was okay and I was fine. But they were still adamant that I come home soon, and to stay safe to not post anything on social media or to do anything that would cause me unwanted attention. 

“Fredric you don’t have to stay here with me. You can go to your own room, that is why I asked for connected rooms.” 

“Sir as much as I would love to do that, I can not.” he says sternly, “Not until we figure out what this man wants with you and who the person is.” 

I frown setting down my pencil on my scorebook and sigh all I want is a moment of alone time with myself. I can not concentrate on my musical work when there are others in the room. To me, it stunts my creative process and makes me overthink a lot more than I like. 

“Fredric I am fine. I will be fine, please can you just give me an hour. I won’t go anywhere without telling you and I won’t try to give you the slip. If you want to... leave your door open so you can hear me moving around in here. But please let me have some alone time so that I can work.” 

I tried to keep my voice steady and not turn into a whiny child, as he seemed to ponder over my request. He was looking at me with a certain amusement before he chuckles and shakes his head. 

“Fair enough, you can have your privacy mr. Perlman but if you have any problems please do not hesitate to-” 

His voice filled with understanding, worry and I knew it was because he genuinely cared about me, not due to the fact that I was becoming this superstar of the classical music world or because I came from a family of money. He was just a caring person who wanted to take care of others by any means of protecting them, that was his job after all. 

I cut him off. “Yes of course I will, thank you Fredric.” I sigh wanting him to just leave me alone now and not hover. I wasn’t used to that shit, people hovering over me, fussing over me like a child. My parents never hovered over me and I wasn’t about to start letting anyone else start to do it. 

When he turned and walked away about to go to his own room I say a little more softly and less agitated, “Fredric… um… thanks for getting me and Marzia to safety. I don’t know what I would have done if it hadn’t been for you, coming to idk, rescue me.” 

‘What in the world I sound like a damsel in distress! I could have so handled that situation by myself… possibly.’ 

That gets him to smile at me and he gives a nod of his head. “Anytime you need me Elio whether you want to admit this or not. I will be here, I don’t see you as some kid that needs rescuing all the time. You are a grown man, you can do whatever you want but at the end of the day… I will always be here to do my job sir.” 

He then disappears into his room and I am left alone with the sounds of my own breathing.

For the next hour I tried to focus on my latest project but was interrupted by the sound of my phone buzzing. When I look at the screen I see a text message from Marzia. 

Marzia: hey sorry that I took so long to respond, I was trying to get my bags from the plane. 

Elio: I was beginning to wonder if you were alright. Glad to hear that you made it! ^_^   
I press send and lay down on my bed the inspiration would come to me eventually if it wanted to I just needed to be patient with myself. 

Marzia: Elio, we need to talk and I don’t mean through texting. Are you alone? Can we skype or facetime?

My heart begins to sink a little and my throat tightens up normally when someone says ‘we need to talk’ it is usually something very serious. Part of me was thinking she wanted to talk about what happened at the zoo and I couldn’t blame her, I wanted to know who that man was too. But so far there was no information, and Fredric was trying desperately to help out by looking into things with the police. 

Elio: Sure! Let me just shut my door and we can talk

I press send and hop off the bed heading to the door. I told Fredric that I was going to shut the door and he looked at me from his bed, giving a nod, his eyes more focused on wrestling than on me. So without another word I grab the doorknob and pull my door shut leaving the room in silence. 

I run back over to the bed and jump on it, my body bouncing as it does and I pick up my phone again, going to skype and press the app. 

Within seconds Marzia’s face appeared on the screen she was laying on her hotel bed with her back against the headboard, her long brown hair over her shoulders, her dark eyes seemed to be far away for a moment. I watched her blink and she looked at me, a light smile on her face. 

“Hey, are you okay?” 

“Elio… I think we should break up.” her voice was soft nearly inaudible when they came out I didn’t quite understand at first.

“Wait… what?” I blink maybe three or four times then say again, “What? Y… you want to break up why? Was it something that I did? Is this about what happened at the zoo?! Marzia I have no idea-” 

She cuts me off with a hand. “It isn’t what you have done Elio, this is… about us not getting to spend time together, without your fans, without the social media drama and what happened at the zoo that was just…”  
“Marzia… all of that stuff doesn’t matter to me! You matter to me, you are my best friend. Do you honestly think that I care about fame more than I care about you? I can make the time, I mean what do you think going to San Antonio was that wasn’t just for a show honey I wanted to spend time with you.”

“Elio I know you care about me but this is your life. Music is your life and you are only going to get bigger from here and then, you will be known all over the world. You and I won’t have time for each other, even if we make time for each other it still isn’t enough. I don’t want to come second, or third to a bunch of fan girls who won’t let you even have time for your actual girlfriend!” 

Her voice begins to waver in tone and I know she is trying to hold back tears, as she swallows she looks away from the camera. 

‘ This can’t be it. This girl is the girl of my dreams, my everything I want to marry her someday and now this…’

I feel my chest expand and I let out a shuddering breath that I realize that I had been holding in for a minute. Then try to find the words to make her stay, to make her see that we can get through this together if she would just stay. My heart wants her to stay with me, for us to get married and have kids but my mind logically knows that this is it. There is nothing more that I can do. We are on the same path but our paths are taking us in different directions that I can’t see because I don’t want to see it. 

“So this is it? You’re giving up just because we can’t see each other as often as we would like? I don’t blame you Marzia I don’t. I’m just… help me understand. Maybe, I can talk to my manager and ask if I can have some time off, get away for a little while, go to Italy visit your parents, maybe even go hangout with my uncle Luca and just be together. Just you and me! Please Marzia don’t do this… I want to be with you and only you. You are very important to me.”

I realize that I sound desperate and my voice is shaky and that I probably don’t make any sense but this girl was my first love. Hell, my only love and now, she was disappearing from my life. 

“Elio it’s time. I can’t say it any other way, I love you and always will love you but I think we should just be friends. Can we do that? Can we be friends after this? Be friends forever? amis pour la vie.”  
She asks through shedding tears and it takes everything I have in me to not cry myself. This sucks and I have to play a show tonight! Then some interviews I can’t do those things now! Not when my emotions are being torn apart and crushed. 

I stay silent for a while then with a heavy heart I finally reply. “amis pour la vie.” I kiss the screen and then the call ends, the screen fades to black. 

I sit there for a moment then I hear Fredric knock on my door and his voice comes through. “Sir are you alright?”

‘No of course I am not okay! I am the furthest from it and I want to scream, cry, throw something for not being strong enough to hold on to this. To open my mouth and say, “no I can’t be around you guys today. I’m sorry I am going to hang out with my girlfriend.” I want to kick myself, I want to throw up.’

Instead what comes out of my mouth shocks me. “Fredric, could you help me get a ticket to Seattle. I want to go home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oliver debating a new job, Elio getting heartbroken and going back to Seattle, Scarlet's secret plan... hmmm we grow ever closer to the chaos =3


	8. Chapter 7: Home Is Where The Music Is

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Being back with my parents in Seattle brought me comfort and gave me a small sense of peace from my crazy life as a musician. It was nice to be surrounded once again by their affection and their open nature to allow me to breath. Just being in that house made me feel whole again, and I allowed myself to just be Elio Perlman again, not the musician but just Elio Perlman the son of Samuel and Annella Perlman.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the next few chapters the pov will go back and forth between Elio and Oliver up until a certain chapter. I am doing it this way because I was having a really hard time with this particular chapter of whose pov to do and just couldn’t make up my mind XD

July 24th, 2020: The Perlman household 

Elio 

Being back with my parents in Seattle was a breath of fresh air. It brought me comfort and gave me a small sense of peace from my crazy life as a musician. It was nice to be surrounded once again by their affection and their open nature to allow me to breath. Just being in that house made me feel whole again, and I allowed myself to just be Elio Perlman again, not the musician but just Elio Perlman the son of Samuel and Annella Perlman. 

When I walked through my parent’s door that Friday morning I was greeted with nothing but hugs and kisses from everyone. 

“Oh darling it’s so good to have you home!” my mother sounds overjoyed and overly excited to see me. I hug her tightly, kissing her cheek, her long hair tickles my cheek and her perfume fills my nose the sweet smell that I had been familiar with since I was a child. Peppermint mixed with the smell of vanilla. 

“Elly- Belly! You’re home early!” my father swoops in and hugs me tightly kissing both of my cheeks, and my hair before releasing me. His voice is filled with happy surprise then he looks at me concerned. 

“Is everything alright? When you spoke to us over the phone we weren’t expecting you until August.” 

My parents led me into the living room and they sat down with me on the couch, with my father sitting down first, my mother next to him. I lay down across my father’s lap with my head resting on my mother’s lap allowing the gentle touch of her hand, running over my hair. 

I let out a deep sigh as my parents waited patiently for me to speak and I began to spill everything that had happened to me. I started with mine and Marzia’s break up and I explain to them about the whole fame thing, how hard it was not getting to be with her most times and how she felt about it my fans. 

My father pats my arm gently. “The life of a musician is an adventurous one; it is not always easy to have a private life, once you end up famous. It is not easy, but I am very proud of you Elio for all of the accomplishments and for how hard you have worked to get to where you are.” 

"Thank you papa." 

The next thing I told my parents about was about the man that chased me at the zoo.

"Oh Elio!" My mother covers her mouth with her hand in shock, while the other hand in my hair suddenly stops. 

I feel my father stiffen and for a moment, I think he is going to get up but he doesn't instead he turns to face me and asks,

"Did you call the police?" 

"Yes papa I did. But they couldn't find the guy that was chasing us. I wish I could figure out who it was though. I honestly thought it was a crazed fan of mine but I don't think that is the case any more." 

"Have you heard anything else about the man dear? Has the police said anything about it since then? Any reports?" 

"Nope. Nothing maman." 

I feel my father's hand pat my own and I sigh in comfort turning on my side, I hug my parents snuggling into them. 

"Don't worry Elio you are home now and if this person tries to find you. Then, they will have to deal with us and Mafalda." 

My father's words make me laugh and I smile. 

****

For most of the morning I spent my time unpacking my bags and once I was done I spent my time relaxing in my room. 

Laying around lounging on my bed, reading my favorite books while listening to music, gently playing as background noise. 

I was trying to distract myself from the heartache I was feeling from my breakup with Marzia. However, in the back of my mind I would often wonder how she was and what she was doing.   
Sure we had broken up mutually and we were still friends but at the same time, I thought about the memories of us together.

Us sneaking out at night to make out with each other under the stars, going swimming at the pool, spending hours with our friends at clubs dancing with each other, drinking wine together, going out to the movies and just doing a lot of couple type activities.

I was halfway through reading Duma Key when I hear a tap at my window, raising my head. I look up and there is no one there. Shrugging I go back to my book and turn a page, getting lost in the tale about a man who curses at a doll when he can’t remember something. 

“Elio Perlman! Where have you been?!” A small voice yells out and I nearly jump out of my skin as I see my bestfriend Vimini, climbing through my open window, with a very annoyed look on her face. 

“You know there is a front door that you can just as easily go through, than scaring me half to death and looking like a creeper all at the same time Vimini.” 

Vimini was a thirteen year old girl that I had met in Italy when I was seventeen her parents were famous singers who would travel the world, with a string quartet and play shows often, always constantly practicing so when they were off doing a show, my family would watch her as a child. So to say that Vimini was a friend/ sibling to me was very accurate. She was fifteen now. 

When I moved to Seattle she was heartbroken and insisted that her parents make the move with us and they seemed to like the idea. So that they could expand their brand to the US and get a more range of audience to enjoy their classical music and hoped that they would make their presence more known to the mainstream as they were known throughout Rome and Crema already and people thought of them as well… musical gods.

We have been together ever since when Vimini met Marzia, she thought of her as a model and just knew that we were going to be the next Brad and Angelena. Apparently. 

I close my book and set it aside on my bed and head over to her, wrapping her up in a giant hug that is felt with the whole body and I hear her say, “I really missed you Elio. I was going crazy without having someone to play with and when your mom said that you were off playing a concert in Ohio-”

“About that…” I say giving her a squeeze feeling my heart become heavy again with sorrow. “Marzia and I broke up.” 

She holds me at arms length, her eyes widening in pure shock. “What??!!!!! No! I really liked Marzia.” she whines stamping her foot on the floor, clearly upset by the very thought of our break up being the end of the world. As if it were some big grandiose thing, like the celebrities of Hollywood. 

Breaking news! Elio Perlman, famous piano player and well known model and violinist call it quits! Yeah, no. 

“You need to tell me everything that happened! Right now sir.” she demands in a tone that I can only describe to be that of a petulant child, grabbing my hand and she begins to pull me towards the window. 

“Woah! Hold on a second.” I laugh, nearly stumbling over my own feet as she starts to go out the way that she came. Her brown hair nearly hit me in the face, by her quick movement, as she turned back around to face me. 

“What?” 

“Firstly I don’t have any shoes on and two I need to let papa and maman know that I am going out. Not to mention you need to go say hello to them before you decide to just kidnap my ass.” 

“Well hop to it Elio! we have a lot to talk about and you have a lot of explaining to do! I want to know everything and you definitely need a pick me up. I am not going to have you moping around the house, not since you have gotten back and now that I am here we are going to have some fun!” 

After Vimini and my mother talked for an hour and I told papa where we were going, the two of us head out of the house and down the street, hand in hand with a bag of freshly made bagels. Mafalda made sure that we would have enough for us to have three a piece between us. 

“So… where should we go first? We could go to Discovery park and sit, eat bagels, watch the waves like we used to.” 

“Sounds good to me.” I give her a smile and squeeze her hand with my own. 

Discovery Park is one of my favorite places to go when I want to be alone with my thoughts. But Vimini and I pretty much claimed the beach as our spot. More specifically it was the place where the rocks nearly touch the water of the Puget Sound it was beautiful and we would spend hours there, walking along the sand, splashing around in the waters from the early morning until dark then we would have papa drive us back home. 

‘ Maybe this is what I needed after all just a day out with my kid sister to do whatever we want in our favorite spot.’ 

****

The fluffy Enigma 

Oliver

This morning was absolutely chaotic and it was one of those days, where anything and everything went wrong. It started with me waking up two hours after I was supposed to be at work, thanks to my ability to consume copious amounts of alcohol and Samuel’s impeccable storytelling. The both of us were so drunk that we were laughing and stumbling out of the bar at two o’clock in the morning, we both decided to take a taxi home.

By the time that I went to bed I found myself waking up as soon as my head hit the pillow. 

“Oliver since Kiki isn’t here today, you are going to take her shift today.” the manager had said the moment I walked into the coffee shop, not even fully conscious quite yet, my hair was a mess, and I had circles under my eyes as well as a pounding headache. (that's what I get for not eating when I got home) 

During my entire shift I had not seen that Christopher guy coming in since we last spoke when he offered me that job. I had thought it over after talking with Carlos but of course, I continued to second guess myself on how legit the whole thing was. It still sounded too good to be true and yet, I really wanted to make extra money. 

Shaking the thought away for the fourth time in a row that morning, I went about cleaning the tables, refilling the display plates, with pastries, swept the floors, manned the cash register, and had to remake coffee that I had accidentally split. 

****

By lunch time I was exhausted and was about to go on my break when my eyes fell upon a man coming into the shop. This time he was dressed differently, a different suit color this time it was a three piece suit. He wore a fedora on his head that was crimson with a black band wrapped around it, and this time he had a cane. Stereotypical for real pimp cane.

“Oliver Willows.” he says with a little more than a pep in his step, as his shiny shoes tap along to the rhythm of his cane, as he saunders over to the counter and props his elbow up, his chin resting on his right fist. 

“Christopher.” I deadpan probably sounded a lot more mean than I had intended, I wasn’t in the mood today. I really wasn’t and the last thing I needed was for this guy to mock me. 

“I’ll have the usual please, and come sit with me so we can have a chat.” he slaps a twenty on the counter in front of me. I look up for a brief moment to see him smirking at me, then turns to once again sit in Samuel’s place. 

I make his coffee to his specifications and then undo my apron hanging it up on the hook and make my way over to the table. Plopping down into the chair, a woosh of air comes out of my lungs in a deep sigh, as he looks me up and down slowly.

“You look like shit Oliver.” his comment rolls off his tongue and I give a self deprecating chuckle. “The coffee life is not as glamorous as you thought it would be?”

I rub my hand over my face slowly dragging my hands down my cheeks. “Something like that…” I trail off not even bothering to hide my tiredness as my foot taps along the floor, my bouncing as it does so.

“Did you think about my offer?” I watch him pick up his cup and take a large slip of the warm coffee, the cream staying on his upper lip as he pulls the cup away. His voice is low and intimate in a way of telling someone a secret. 

“I have.” 

“And?” he pushes gently, his eyes lighten slightly was that hope? Or was that desperation I see in his eyes. His body leaning forward, his forearms resting on the table top. 

“I will do it.” I say and I watch his smile grow a lot wider, almost splitting his face in half, holding out his hand he shakes my own with eager force. 

“Excellent! Meet me after you get off of work tonight at this address and I will get you started!” he is still beaming when he lets go of my hand and this time, he takes his coffee with him, after he gets up from the table. 

I watched him go without a word and in the back of my mind, I was wondering what in the world was in store for me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading more to come soon! ^_^


	9. The Deviant Lounge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver finds out that him becoming an escort comes with a price.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy! ^~^

Outside the Fluffy Enigma: 8:45pm   
Oliver 

After the long day that I’ve had today... All I want to do is go home take a long hot shower and just relax with a good book or watch some tv. But the other part of me wants to indulge in my curiosity of what Christopher has in store for me with this new job. 

I pulled out the business card that was given to me the first time I had met this guy and took a look at it. It was fancy as hell and the name of the company sounded like a cliche within itself. The Deviant Lounge sounds like something from Lucifer the tv show, there is no way this place could actually exist, let alone be named something so….

“Are you coming Mr. Willows or are you just going to stand around here all night?” I look up to see Christopher sitting in a limo with the window rolled down. 

‘ Hold on I thought he told me to meet him? And where in the hell did this limo come from?” Out of the few times that I had seen Christopher come into the coffee shop, I had not seen this limo sitting outside in the parking lot or even sitting by the entrance. But who was I to judge someone based on what they drove or where they got it from? I was living in an apartment, driving my motorcycle everyday getting paid $7.25 an hour to pay my bills just so I wouldn’t be begging my mother and father for help. Shut up Oliver! Just shut up!   
“NO! I… um, I thought you wanted me to meet you at the club?” I say with a puzzled look as I walk over to the limo the driver opens the driver door and comes around the car, to the back passenger door, opening it up from me. He doesn’t even look at me when I look at him, raising an eyebrow. Nothing but a straight face.

“I changed my mind. I thought you would like to ride in style. Now, get in the car Willows we are on a time schedule and mine is very consuming, customers in need of my assistance.” his tone with me is short, snappy almost and for a second I want to turn around and walk away, but I knew that if I did I possibly wouldn’t get this chance again.

So my sweaty, tired, 6’5, 220 pound muscles framed self folds and contorted into the limo without a fuss or comment, the driver waiting as I folded my long legs into the car before he shut the door with a loud clap. I am left in the dark car with Christopher sitting across from me, a glass of champagne in his left hand, a cigar in his right. He sits with his left leg strategically placed over his right one as he looks me up and down, making me feel as if I am on display or being judged on my performance on an audition. 

“Relax Oliver, you are in good hands man. I promise we are just going to go to a club so you can get a feel for the layout and we are just going to talk. No need to be nervous. Here, take a hit off of this. He holds out the cigar to me and I shake my head declining politely. 

“Cigars… aren’t really my thing man.” I say sitting back against the black leather interior, relaxing into it as I hear the driver shut his door and feel the car pull out of the parking lot. Christopher puts a button on a panel to his right on the door’s facing and the screen separating us and the driver goes down. 

“Richard, to the club please.” 

“Yes sir.” the driver replies and the screen goes back up once again, leaving us alone to privacy.   
“Don’t worry about your bike Oliver, I will have my men deliver it to the club. So tell me… what is your “thing” if you don’t like cigars? Perhaps you're more of the green type… hm. It’s okay you can tell me, I won’t tell anyone.” 

I blink at him running a hand through my hair. “I haven’t done anything like that since my high school days.” I confess and that seems to get him to laugh. 

“You know something Oliver, I like you.” he comments, thumping the ashes into the ashtray that is located in the door to his right and all the sudden, I feel as if a weight has been lifted and my nerves relax at his words. As does my thoughts to an extent. 

“That’s good to know.” I turn my head to stare out the window, watching as the blur of dim street lights, and the city rush by us as we make our way west.   
****  
The Deviant Lounge was located on the west side of Seattle in between the rich part of the town and the middle class part. Smack dead in the middle, but the building had an atmosphere of being abandoned so no one would give it a second thought. However, those who knew about this place of discrete and desire knew better for looks can be very deceiving.

The outside of the building was made of tan-brown brick with a neon purple sign with a silhouette of a person’s body, the motion of a hand stretching out forward, like a 3D picture in a silent beg “Hey come take my hand, go beyond the door. You know you want to.” above the black painted door, with a golden knocker on it. 

“Only the high profilers and those that can pay for a membership come here.” Christopher informed me as the car stopped at the back entrance. He reaches forward and pats my knee in a friendly gesture, as he moves to my right to open the door before the driver can come to the our side of the car.   
“When you come to work, all of the escorts go through the back of the building, while the clients come through the front entrance. It is done this way so the clients don’t see the escorts until they pay for the service, a sort of pay first before getting the goods. So to speak.” 

He gives a chuckle stepping out holding the now half smoked cigar in his between his teeth as he grins at me. 

I nod my head. “Got it. Anything else that I should know?” I ask as I put myself back together, after unfolding myself awkwardly out of the limo and nod my head at the driver who shut the door, standing like a soldier at attention with his gloved hands in front of him. 

“Let’s get inside and head to my office. We can talk there.” Christopher said curtly, his demeanor changing completely as he looks around then quickly picks up the pace of his walking, with me falling behind him taking long strides to keep up with him. 

There was a tiny red flag in his behavior but I decided to ignore the odd behavior. I chalked it up to him being in a hurry and being a busy guy and with the club being “members only” I am sure there were people who were of the curious kind wanting to know what goes on in this place. Like bored adventurous teenagers who wanted to seem cool and go into places that were 18+ only or where strictly for 21+ adults who were looking for a certain entertainment during the nightlife. 

I could see how he could be worried about that and the reputation that could come with, not to mention the constant harassment from the younger crowd who thinks they can defy the laws and try their luck. 

The inside of the club is filled with blue and purple neon lights, bathing the club in a party-like atmosphere, the crest moon couches are black suede, with matching pillows, the carpet is of black with light blue specs inside of it. There are windows all around the room, that work like two way mirrors, people can see out from inside the club, but the onlookers can not see inside of the club. (Left side of the room/ main area)   
There are channelers on the second floor where the private one on one conversations take place, if the client so chooses to stay at the club a sort of Vip section like in an everyday club. Where the bar is also located. (north side of the room) where there is an assortment of wines the client can choose from. 

I whistle in appreciation as my eyes glanced around the club, as I follow Christopher who weaves past groups of people saying a string of greetings to men and women who were dressed in suites and elegant nightgown dresses that one would wear to a ball or a fancy dinner party. 

This place looked like a nightclub that was something that I hadn’t expected at all. Most places that offer escorts they are very elegant, or they look like a corporate office on the inside. 

“This is incredible how in the world can you afford something like this?” I say over the loud music that blasts through the speakers as I continue to follow Christopher, to the front of the club to a desk with a woman with blond hair, dressed in a golden sparkle dress, hoop earrings, who seemed to be hard at work typing on her computer, eyes glued to the screen. 

“Good afternoon, Mary.” 

The woman looks up at the mention of her name and smiles, her lips painted with a rosey pink lip gloss.

"Hello Mr. Diez." The woman replies as she stares at Oliver up and down, with approval, biting her lip lightly. 

"Oliver, this is my assistant Mary Higgins. She is the official greeter of the place and she is the one who will be giving you the schedule for clients each week."

"A pleasure to meet you Mary." I say taking her manicured hand into my own and she shakes it slowly as she stares a little too long at me. 

"Oh the pleasure is mine. You are definitely going to do a killing here Oliver. With those looks and that body, oooo you will be racking up clients in no time at all." 

Christopher chuckles at her comment and I become thankful for the purple glow of the lights above my head, no one can see me blush thank God! But I do feel my cheeks heat up at her words. 

"Now to the upstairs! We have business to discuss Mary, if you see my cousin would you send her up please. She is going to want to meet the new recruit." 

I glance up to see that behind Mary's head tacked to the wall are the official club rules written in a fancy golden cursive font that is very pleasing to the eyes. 

All clients must sign in even if you have been to the club before  
You must leave the club if you are causing a disturbance, you will be asked only once to leave nicely before you are escorted off the property.  
All escorts must report any and all issues to the boss, must keep the client safe and always give consent   
Escorts are not allowed to have significant others; it is forbidden, you are to remain and appear “available” to the clients at all times. This is to help prevent jealousy and unnecessary drama that is not the clubs responsibility this means, no emotional attachments to clients or making promises to them.   
All escorts will get tested regularly for any and all diseases they may contract while working, this is more for the safety of both the clients and the staff. 

Failure to abide by these rules will be an immediate termination! 

****

Once upstairs in Christopher’s office he instructs me to sit down in a chair that is in front of his desk. I watch him straighten his tie, and walk around the right side of his desk to a small bar, that is to my left, his right depending on where you are sitting or looking. 

“Can I get you anything to drink? Bourbon, martini, daiquiri?” 

“Um, no thank you. Not really in the mood for drinking.” I politely declined. What I really wanted was my bed and multiple hours of nothing but constant sleep. I was secretly hoping that this guy would hurry things along so that I could go home. 

“Too bad. This is some of the best shit around. Now then, do you have any questions for me?” He asks walking away from the bar, sipping his drink as he walks back to his desk and flops down in his leather chair.   
Before I could open my mouth however, I hear the door open and when I turn around my eyes widen at the sight of a woman dressed in a very elegant black dress, that came down to her thighs, tied in the back, with a lace pattern in the front of it that opened up into a v. she wore black stiletto heels that had a small black ribbon that wove around her ankle and went up her calf tying into a small bow.

“It’s about time cousin! I was starting to believe that you weren’t coming.” Christopher smiles, setting his glass down and getting up from his chair, walking over to her. 

Unsure of whether I should be sitting down or not I decided I would play it safe and stand up myself, moving away from the chair. As Scarlet sticks her hand out in greeting, her fingers are strong but hold elegance to them compared to my own as I shake her hand. 

‘ I am seriously underdressed for such an occasion.’ 

“Nice to meet you Oliver. My my my aren’t you a handsome one, the clients will be all over this one for sure. In fact, you are exactly what we need to help our business.” 

“Oh?” my eyebrows raise in curiosity. “I’m sure there are plenty of beautiful men out there who could do this job way better than I could.” I say with modesty in my voice as she runs a hand over my shoulder, walking around me almost like she is sizing me up, assessing me. 

My eyes follow her closely. There is something about her that just makes me feel off, or uneasy but I can’t understand what it is about her. I don’t know if it is the confidence that she radiates off of herself, or her ability to be intimidating but she seems very dominant in personality much to my own. 

“We were just about to discuss specifics when you came in.” Christopher butts in quickly and in an instant my eyes tear away from Scarlet and she walks over to the side of the desk, to stand next to her cousin. 

“Oh good!” Scarlet sounds giddy and for a second I wonder why? And then that is when the playing around stops the niceness goes away and the air in the room shifts. 

“The specifics of what?” 

“Mr. Willows my cousin and I are in a very cut throat business... We have competitors all over the world who are trying to “out buy” us so to speak and someone like you would be a good addition to our team. So with that being said can we trust you to do your job?” 

“Sure, absolutely why do you think I wouldn’t?” 

I watch Christopher hunch down behind his desk and pull out a briefcase and toss it on the desk in front of me, and open it up. Inside of it is white powder… cocaine, bags upon bags of it. And my mouth drops open as the realization comes to me what exactly it is that they are talking about. 

“This wasn’t part of what you told me Christopher I am not…. No I am not doing this! I want no part of your little drug ring or whatever the fuck you are implying for me to do! You told me that I was going to make money being an escort not selling drugs!”

“And I meant it! And you will be-” 

“However, here's the deal Oliver Joseph Willows, you are the perfect candidate to help me build my empire and I am not going to take no for an answer! You are going to make money from this business, but you are going to be selling to our customers.”

“The hell I am!” I turn on my heels and head towards the door, my hand automatically goes to the doorknob and I am about to jerk the door open, but when I do a man stands into my way.

I turn around and look at Scarlet and Christopher. “How did you know my full name?” 

Scarlet smirks at me and pulls out an envelope from a drawer in Christopher's desk and holds it up. Her hand waves it back and forth like a pendulum.

"I know everyone and everything there is to know about my customers, and those they interact with. To keep them in line and to keep their mouths shut about what goes on here. We supply the entertainment and the goods, the people get what they come for and everything runs smoothly and they are happy."

"So you want to use me as a fucking drug mule to move your shit, while under false pretenses? That's criminal!" 

"No Mr. Willows, that… is smart business and in this game you either beat those around you or die. So what's it gonna be? Are you going to be a good little boy and play my game to stay alive and become the writer you always wanted to be? Or have your entire life taken from you in an instant?" 

I pace back and worth this should be a no brainer. I should say no and walk out of this place right now? No book is worth all the trouble that this is going to cause me. 

'you won't be living in that apartment anymore think of it! A real house with a pool, lots of room. You could buy bubbie a new bed, and hire a maid to help clean her home. Pay her bills. Do it!!!! Fuck the consequences.' 

But at the same time….

'you could also get busted for selling the drugs and go to jail, ruin any chances you have at a better life for yourself and you will be known as Oliver the druggie, Oliver the mule! For the rest of your life! Is that what you want!' 

"Alright Scarlet. You got me what do I have to do?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading input and comments are always welcomed and encouraged. It really helps me grow as a writer 🙂


	10. Rhythm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “The first time I laid eyes on him, it was like a scene from a movie. The spotlight was on him and the music that came out of those fingers was romantic, light hearted and for a lack of a better term sexy. He seemed to be lost in the music, but I could tell this boy was going through something… I’ve seen this look before on many people that had asked for my services. The pretending to be okay when you aren’t face was painted on his own.” 
> 
> When the music ended, he took a bow and announced that he was going to be taking a quick break and the next thing I knew, he was strolling up to the bar, tie undone, the top two buttons of his dress shirt popped open as he sits down on the bar stool, his hair flopping as he did so. He looks to the bartender in silence as if he doesn’t know what to order.
> 
> “Hey Mark, give me two white Russians would you please and put it on my tab.” 
> 
> He looks over at me then. “You didn’t have to do that. I could have order my-”   
> “After that amazing performance up there? Nah, it’s no problem at all. I would hope that someone would return the favor for me if I were in that situation.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to Peachy_428 I hope this is the interaction that you are looking for ^_^ 
> 
> I love Vimini so much as a character I only hope that I did her justice. Enjoy!

August 1st- 15th, 2020

Elio 

After spending most of the morning and afternoon with Vimini I felt a little better. My mood had improved slightly spending all that time in the sun, swimming and letting myself enjoy being with my best friend, really helped. It didn’t fully take the pain of my break up away, but what it did... was remind me that I wasn’t alone and that Vimini would always be close when I needed her. 

By the time Vimini and I come back to the house, the sun has disappeared behind the clouds becoming grey and dark, the wind begins to blow, causing the trees to blow and russel around. Then the first few beginnings of a rain storm smacks Vimini in the face and she screams that it was cold! I laugh and when the rain begins to fall more frequent we take off running to the front porch. 

We walk through the front door together, shutting it behind us quickly laughing we go about taking our shoes off, and stand there by the door, as Robert comes with a couple of towels handing them over to us. 

“Thank you Robert.” I rub my hair with the towel first as Vimini wraps her towel around her waist, and reaches up with her hand ruffling my hair, with her fingers when I remove the towel. 

The butler gives a nod of his head and goes about his business as Vimini and I go in search of clean clothes, up in my room. 

I go digging through my drawers and Vimini stands there with her towel in her hands drying her hair, watching me as I look for her something to wear. She was a lot shorter than me so I had to find something that I could no longer wear and pray that it was good enough to fit around her smaller frame. 

“Here, you can have these.” I hand over a pair of basketball shorts, and one of my old band t-shirts from high school which she takes and looks them over then back to me. 

“What?” 

“Are you sure these will fit me?”   
“Why don’t you go try them on silly.” I replied laughing. “You can use my bathroom to change your clothes, Oh! Make sure you hang up your wet clothing on the curtain rod. You know how Mafalda gets when she is in one of her cleaning moods.” 

She rolls her eyes at me and walks to the bathroom, taking her towel with her, shutting the door behind her. 

****

After putting on dry clothes we head downstairs together and the sound of music playing in the entertainment room catches my ears. So I hold my index finger to my lips in a shhh motion and Vimini nods as we head towards the noise, our feet are quiet. 

I peek around the corner and I see my parents slowly dancing together, to an old blues song that was in french. My mother’s eyes shut as she rests her head on my father’s shoulder, their arms around each other with no space between them as they dance around the room.

They seemed oblivious of me or so I thought until my mother opened her eyes and looked directly at me, her smile warm, her eyes shining with love. It made my heart skip a beat and for a moment, I thought about what my future with Marzia could have been like but it was quickly interrupted by Mafalda’s dinner bell. 

I grab Vimini and we run down the hallway to the kitchen with my parent’s following behind us, holding hands in quiet amusement. 

As we gathered around the dinner table Mafalda sets down tonight's dinner risotto before us and Vimini tries to snag a roll before saying graze and my father gives her a look. 

After grace is said, my father begins to talk about this grand party that he wants to have here at the house. All our heads pop up and Vimini who was buttering the roll she had taken seems very excited by this news. So much so that she begins to talk fast about how much of a good idea it would be! 

“That would be so cool! You could invite everyone and I could go look for a dress! Oh why don’t you guys have a ball!”   
“That sounds like a marvelous idea! Elio can play for the guests and we could also bring in a live band. We could have lots of food and wine, it will be the best extravaganza yet!” 

My father beams and my mother seems to be entertained with the idea, raising my father’s right hand to her lips briefly kissing the back of it. 

I on the other hand gave a tiny fuss about playing at said party when all I wanted to do was relax and hang out with my friends. “Papa do I have to play? Why would you need me if you are going to have a live band?” I wasn’t trying to be rude, I was simply stating a point. 

“Oh Elio, you don’t have to play the whole night daring just a few songs for us.” my mother’s tone of voice was that of when I was child, a soft coo across the dinner table as she picked up her wine glass from the table and took a few sip. 

“Oh don’t be such a party pooper Elio! It will be fun and you can dance with me!” she beams, popping a fork full of rice into her mouth, making a satisfying moan. 

I chuckle. “Well alright. If you insist on it Vim, then I will dance with you at the party.” 

I went quiet after that digging into my food while the others continued to talk about the party plans such as making a guest list, what type of band they were going to hire for the party, which rooms of the house they were going to make off limits and how long the party would go on for. But knowing my parents and their very nature for being party goers... I was pretty sure the party was going to last the entire night no matter what time they set the party to end.

“May I be excused?” I asked looking at my mother. I had cleaned my plate and was wanting to watch tv before I decided to turn in for the night. 

“Me too!” Vimini shouts out, pushing back her chair just as I do with mine and my father laughs. “My goodness where are you two off to in such a hurry?” 

Before either of us can answer the lights above the dining room table begin to flicker and then there is a snapping noise, then the entire house is in darkness. More often than not when it stormed sometimes the lights would go out in our house since the house was old fashioned even after my mother had spent all of her time, refurbishing it and making it a half and half house. Keeping a lot of the old things like the chandeliers, the door knobs, the french doors, while putting some of the new modern things mixed into it. Like our marble flooring and the entire renovation of the kitchen so that it looked brand new. 

“Well there goes my plan for watching tv tonight.” I comment and I hear Vimini giggle beside me, while I hear the scraping of a chair across the floor, as my mother or my father get out of their chair. 

“Darling, would you mind getting some candles? I think there are some in the drawer in the entertainment room.” 

“Yes maman.” I take Vimini by the hand and pull her along with me so I won’t be alone and so she can help carry candles.

We spent the rest of that evening listening to my mother and father tell us stories, all fantasy stories of course. Where is the fun in writing about real life? By the time the stories were over Vimini and I noticed that the rains had finally stopped. 

The two of us decided that tonight we should go out to one of the piano bars and go dancing. I knew it was risky taking Vimini to a piano bar being thirteen years old, she wasn’t allowed to set foot into one. Thankfully though my father was friends with the owner who would allow me in all the time when I was requested to play. So I planned on sneaking her in with me so she wouldn’t be alone and I would have company to hang out with. 

“Are you sure about this? Vimini asks, staring at me from the bed as I rummaged through the closet for my best suite. 

“You were the one that said that playing would help me get over Marzia, V so yes, I want to do this. And you were also saying that you get tired of hanging out at my house all the time. so … we are going to go out tonight and we are going to have fun.”

*******  
Oliver 

From the first day to now mentally and emotionally I struggle with the very idea that I am in a shit storm that I can not get out of. On the one hand, I was learning new skills that would help me get to know people and what they liked but at the same time, I felt sick to my stomach knowing that I was making money selling these drugs and being trapped in a whirlwind “marriage” with the business. 

Scarlet seemed impressed with my ability to draw people in naturally with my soft nature and confidence, like moths to flames they would flock to me. More like throwing themselves at me left and right, but each time I would leave with a wad of cash in my pockets the intense feeling of “This is very fucked up, I shouldn’t be doing this.” would hit me and I would have to call Carlos for emotional comfort which led to hour long conversations that would leave me laughing and then the feeling would go away. 

“You are definitely the best decision that I ever made Oliver. You keep this up and you will be up in the business with the big clients.” 

Scarlet purrs in my ear while her cousin would pat my back in congratulations while internally I wanted to scream. 

So this is what led me here to this piano bar with a couple of my coworkers. They said that I needed to relax and take a load off. To do something fun to combat my thoughts or I would end up going crazy so I turned to drinking white russians with the boys and smoking weed at a piano bar called Rhythm. 

It was a small bar with a stage for live bands and was frequented by many local patrons of the city some of them I recognize from the coffee shop, while others were a selective few that had paid for my services at some point. The rest of the people were new faces, nameless faces that I assumed that had come to drown their sorrows in booze and classical music. 

“Hey Oliver why don’t you go get us another round of these? I am not particularly fond of white russians but I believe this is actually a relationship I can commit to.” 

One of them chimes, clapping me on the shoulder as I was playing with my straw, rolling it in between my fingers seemingly lost in my own thoughts of what I was gonna do after this.

“Oh please, you never commit to anything, Corey.” One of the women of our group says incredulously while I give a chuckle, half paying attention. The others get into the conversation and then I find myself drifting out of the conversation entirely. 

“Yeah, okay… while you guys are dealing with your commitment issues, I’m just gonna go get more drinks.” I knocked on the table twice before getting up, feeling like the conversation was going in an awkward direction.

I walk over to the bar and perch myself on one of the bar stools placing my forearms on the counter, waiting patiently for the bartender to notice me. My eyes following his movements, for a moment then the sound of a piano melody fills my right ear and when I turn my head that is the first time I laid eyes on him, it was like a scene from a movie. The spotlight was on him and the music that came out of those fingers was romantic, light hearted and for a lack of a better term sexy. He seemed to be lost in the music, but I could tell this boy was going through something… I’ve seen this look before on many people that had asked for my services. The pretending to be okay when you aren’t face was painted on his own, it showed through his music. 

When the music ended, he took a bow and announced that he was going to be taking a quick break and the next thing I knew, he was strolling up to the bar, tie undone, the top two buttons of his dress shirt popped open as he sits down on the bar stool, his hair flopping as he did so. He looks to the bartender in silence as if he doesn’t know what to order.

“Hey Mark, give me six white Russians would you please and put it on my tab. But give the sixth to this gentleman here if you would please.”

He looks over at me then. “You didn’t have to do that. I could have order my-” 

“After that amazing performance up there? Nah, it’s no problem at all. I would hope that someone would return the favor for me if I were in that situation.”

I say in kindness hoping that the gesture of it would at least make his night a little better, as he looks over at me. 

“Thanks.” His answer is somewhat curt and hits me in a way that makes me think that he is rude but I know that isn’t the case, it's just his way of putting some distance between a situation of the heart. 

“So- what was her name.” he looks up at me with a surprised look on his face, emerald eyes wide, I hear him take in a breath and there is the guilt, the shame and the embarrassment. He immediately looks down as if suddenly the table is more interesting, his curls falling into his face. 

“I’m sorry- It’s none of my business.” I say quickly knowing that I should shut up and not meddle in other people’s business but at this point in my life with my line of work now, I could really use someone to talk to that isn’t well… stuck on the job. 

‘God this is fucking awkward. Change the subject, change the subject!’

“I’m Oliver.” I stick my hand out across the counter, the boy lifts his head up his face partially cloaked in the purple glow of the light above us, he stares at my hand, biting the corner of his lip then tentatively shakes my hand with his own, his fingers are long, slender with slight calosis on the tips of his fingers.

“Elio.” I give his hand a soft squeeze before letting go and I can still feel the shadow of warmth left on my hand. 

“So- a man of many talents.” My comment seems to fly over his head for a second, he looks utterly confused until I elaborate, “the roughness of your fingers tells me, that either you are a guy that works a lot at a job like the oil field, musician etc. Or you spend a lot of time dabbling in other activities that can’t be discussed in the open.” 

Then it clicks for him. He shifts on the stool, turning his body towards me, he slowly begins to let his guard down. Not a lot, he runs a hand through his curls, allowing his hand to stop at the back of his neck. 

“Uh? Oh! Oh, yeah... “ he laughs nervously, cracking a smile. “Yeah, I’ve been known to dabble in classical guitar as well. But piano is my first love. Do you play an instrument?” 

“Well… not particularly no. I am an avid lover of music myself. It's just I suck at playing an instrument.”   
That gets him laughing and I feel this sensation of making his day just a tiny bit better, that he makes me feel like I’ve done some good in helping my shitty situation. 

The bartender sets the white russians down in front of me and I look over at him. “You’re not gonna go anywhere are you? I uh, need to take these to my buddies before they start throwing a fit. But I would like to stay and chat a bit if you don’t mind the company.” 

I get up from the stool and manage to gather up all five glasses within both of my hands. As I wait for his reply, a girl who looks way too young to be at a bar comes bouncing up to Elio and hugs him tightly from behind. He turns his head and his eyes light up, as he turns fully around in her arms to hug her back. 

“You were great Elio! I am so glad you snuck me in to see you play as usual.” she lets out a giggle but the last part of her statement catches me off guard, and I clear my throat to which they both look at me. 

The look Elio gives me is very sheepish but the girl looks like a prep looking at a nerd when they walk down the hallway at school. She gives me the up and down, hands on her hips, her nose stuck up into the air just a bit. But I ignore her look and look at Elio instead expectantly, who realizes that he hasn’t answered my question. 

“So… uh Elio you gonna be around or…” I turn my head back to my friend’s who are calling my name and lightly banging on the table behind me for their drinks, I want to roll my eyes. 

“Don’t you know it’s rude to ignore people.” 

The girl says flatly, and I chuckle glancing at her, with a soft grin though it doesn’t show in my eyes, my eyebrows going up gently. I am now intrigued by this girl. 

who is this girl? His girlfriend? No. There is no way that is his girlfriend, she looks way too young to be his girlfriend. Unless…. No. he wouldn’t be sulking like he is if she was his girlfriend, they would be all over each other if that was the case. Could be a sister maybe… 

“And didn’t anybody ever tell you that it’s rude to interrupt people when they are in the middle of a conversation. Elio, I’m sorry i’ll be right back.”   
I quickly deposit the drinks around the table, each one making a tapping sound on the wooden table as I do. The others once again lost in a conversation about clients, and other shit that I am not very focused on right now as the greedy hands snag their glasses.

“Took you long enough.” one of them comments before, taking a big chug tossing the glass back. 

“You really should pace yourself on those.” I comment, shaking my head, snagging my own drink back and heading over to Elio and the girl again, who was now sitting to his right side as I took my place where I was originally sitting on his left. 

“Sorry about that.” I mumbled as the girl looked at me again, assessing me with a curious eye, as Elio began to question me more about my taste in music. I could tell that he was very passionate about this subject, the way he begins to light up makes me more intrigued and eases my nerves despite the expression on this girl's face.

He then turns to the girl beside him and introduces her, “this is my best friend Vimini. She is harmless don’t worry.” 

“Oliver. Nice to meet you Vimini, sorry about the cold tone earlier haven’t had the best kind of day. So please don’t take offense to my behavior.” I say taking her hand in mine, shaking it before releasing it. 

“It’s okay. I don’t trust people much when it comes to my friend Elio. he has been through heartache and I'm just making sure you aren’t trying to steal him from me.” 

She rests her head on her hand, her elbow sitting on the counter, her eyes looking straight at me, her hair hanging down, her fingers lightly drumming on the top softly. Her legs gently swing back and forth, as she continues to make quiet judgement of me.

“Oh I would never steal your friend from you Vimini. But your loyalty and your protective nature is a very admirable quality to have in a friendship, in fact, I have a best friend back home that reminds me a lot like you. He is loyal and funny too, but tell me… Vimini, that's italian right?” 

“parli italiano Vimini?” I ask trying to impress this girl to win her over so I wouldn’t be given the death glare anymore and it seems to work. Her eyes widen and she looks at Elio who also seems surprised by my ability to speak another language.  
“sì, certamente. dove hai imparato a parlare l'italiano?” Vimini answers her posture changing to sitting up straight and leaning forward, placing a hand on Elio’s shoulder, as he raises an eyebrow. The curiosity coming off in waves of him and soon I begin to relax a little further, as if I had known these two in another life. 

“mia madre mi ha insegnato un po 'da un libro che aveva letto da bambina.” I bend my head, staring down into my drink, as I use the small black straw to stir, slowly over and over. 

“Would you like something to drink Vimini? I’m sure they have some coke or water, whatever, you want to get and I’ll pay for it.” Elio offers to her and she nods yes, then I watch Elio order a drink for Vimini and the bartender sets a glass of coke in front of her, the bubbles fizzing at the very top, the ice clinking around in the glass. 

"So… Oliver what brings you here?" Elio casually tosses the question out there as Vimini takes a few sips of her drink before putting it down. 

"I just got off of work actually. I uh-" before I can say the words Vimini nearly makes me knock over my drink as the words spill from her mouth, with such bluntness I begin to question if she is a woman trapped in a tiny body.

"He's a prostitute. That's why he is wearing fancy clothes, smells like cheap perfume and is using his charm to get us to like him." 

I toss my head back and laugh at this statement. 

What the actual fuck?! 

"Vimini!!!!" Elio chides through gritted teeth, before turning back to me with an apologetic look, his cheeks turning pink. 

"I'm sorry she-" 

"What I'm just stating the obvious!" She defends shrugging her slender shoulders, sliding her finger down the now sweaty glass.

"And how would you know what a prostitute even looks like Vimini? You like what… ten years old." I scoft, rolling my eyes to the heavens at this girl's assumption of me. 

"I'm 13. And it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what a prostitute looks like because I see them all the time when I go outside. I've seen women walking around in tight outfits and lots of makeup on with men hanging on their arms. Or waiting on the street corner putting their sexy acmie legs out there like bugs bunny to get the guys attention." 

Elio laughs and gently rests his head on the table with a sigh. "You watch way too much tv Vimini I'm going to have to tell papa to put the child lock on when you are around to stop you from watching the late night shows." 

"You know… Vimini, you are pretty fucking smart for a thirteen year old. I'm very impressed by how mature you sound cuz when I was thirteen, I didn't even know what a prostitute was and for the record… I am not a prostitute, I'm a barista." 

I pull one of the chocolate candies off of my glass and pop it into my mouth making a satisfying him as I chew. 

"Besides what are you doing out so late? Don't you go to school?" 

"I'm home schooled." She pops off again and I chuckle, she makes me crack a smile that splits my face. 

Elio looks down at his watch and curses under his breath, hopping off of the stool and I raise my eyebrows gently at his hurried demeanor, he nearly trips backwards and I grab ahold of his arm out of reaction to keep him steady.

"Wow you are a lightweight huh?" I tease in good nature and he giggles, looking away, his hand resting directly on my arm as he steadies himself on his feet 

"Nah, he just tends to be a little clumsy sometimes even when he isn't drunk." She smirks into her cup before draining the rest of it in one big gulp. 

Elio flushes and removes himself from my grip gently his fingers brushing mine, our eyes meeting and I give him a light pat on the shoulder. 

"I should get back to playing before these lovely people start throwing food at me. It was lovely to meet you Oliver, Vimini are you going to stay sitting up here or are you going to head back to the piano with me?" 

"I can sit with her, if it isn't too much trouble until you get done with your set." 

Why did that just come out of my mouth you barely even know them! 

"Are you sure? I don't want her to give you any trouble she can be a handful sometimes, not to mention very nosy." 

He glances at Vimini who gives an innocent and sweet grin to him and for moment it makes me miss Carlos. It was clear that these two were childhood friends, who knew each other very well and would clearly call each other on their shit if they were out of line.

"Oh it's no problem at all. Unless Vim here, doesn't mind hanging out with a "prostitute" as she so calls me. Which by the way Vimini, I wouldn't be saying that out loud people may get the wrong idea about me and ruin my reputation with another word that starts with a p." 

"Like a pedophile." She shakes her head. "No I wouldn't do that to someone I just met. I give people the benefit of the doubt first unless they piss me off then I bring out my guns. So… you're good." 

Elio disappears after that mouthing the words 'thank you' at me and I wink at him. Thankfully Vimini doesn't see this exchange because she is hopping off the stool and heading straight to the restroom. 

For the rest of the night while Elio plays the rest of his set, Vimini and I get into many different conversations about art, where we live, and other mundane subjects that would be under the category of small talk that is appropriate for someone of her age. 

I find out that she came from a little town called Crema, she loves cheese crackers, her favorite colors are sea blue, light pink and perrywinkle. Her favorite author is Stephen King, she hates oranges with a passion, and she loves the show Charmed cuz witches and magic are cool! (Her words not mine) 

We drone on for hours it seems laughing and I feel this huge sense of relief and companionship that I had been longing for since Carlos left for home and it is all thanks to a thirteen year old girl. 

"So Vim why is it that you aren't out hanging with people your own age? I mean have you even tried to make friends of your age group?"

She reaches over and steals one of my chocolate candies that was in my now second empty glass. Popping it into her mouth she sighs her eyes falling a little as her head lowers. 

"People don't understand me… I'm too smart for them and they don't interest me too much. I tried once to make friends back in Crema but I got bullied by them. So when I met Elio he just clicked with me in a way that made me feel like I belonged, we sit for hours and talk about literature, movies, views on the world and music. Even though he is way older than me- he…" 

"He's like the brother you never had." I finish for her and she looks up at me with a soft expression that makes her look her age. "I get it."

"So… what do you think Vim? Did I pass your 'am I worthy test?" 

I ask just as Elio plays the last note of the night with the sounds of claps vibrating throughout the room, as he once again stands up to take a final bow.

"You're not as bad as I thought you were… okay," she admits. 

" Good to know." I gently bump her with my shoulder, glancing at her out of the corner of my eye as Elio walks over to us, seemingly out of breath and sleepy.

"But I still think you're a prostitute."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> parli italiano Vimini?" Oliver to Vimini "Do you speak Italian Wicker?" something i found out about Vimini when I was using google translate, the "wicker" is actually the meaning of Vimini's name which I thought was pretty cool since it was something I didn't know about her =3
> 
> “sì, certamente. dove hai imparato a parlare l'italiano?" Vimini to Oliver "Sure. where did you learn to speak Italian?"
> 
> “mia madre mi ha insegnato un po 'da un libro che aveva letto da bambina.” Oliver to Vimini ""My mother taught me a little from a book she read as a child."
> 
> As always feel free to please correct the translation if it is wrong. thanks for reading!


	11. Preparation is key

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scarlet learns about Elio being in Seattle and seeing Oliver thanks to one of the coworkers that can’t keep their mouth shut. The Perlman’s make preparations for the party of a lifetime, sending out invitations, making phone calls, while Vimini drags Elio on a shopping spree his mind becomes preoccupied and they end up in a little coffee shop on the corner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is going to be from Scarlet’s point of view first, then it will go back and forth between Elio and Oliver. Sorry if it is fairly short the next chapters are going to be long so it will more than make up for this one trust me! =3

Scarlet 

“Are you sure? That is what you saw and that you weren’t too drunk last night Corey, tell me, that you weren’t just hallucinating.” my voice comes out in a desperate plea as I look at the buffoon standing across from me, as I dig through the papers on my desk. 

“I swear to g-” 

*Smack*

“Don’t you dare swear to god In front of me! Stake your life on it… have some respect for the savior!” 

Corey chuckles dryly rubbing his cheek, as I go back to sorting through the stack of documents, everything about Elio Perlman. Right at my fingertips and now, this man is telling me that he saw Elio with Oliver at a bar he was at? Hold on this can’t be right… he must be fucking with me.

I pick up the picture and slap it down in front of him. “This is who you saw, that night correct.” I point to Elio’s face. My body is trembling with excitement, but I school my face so that it doesn’t show, in my eyes while on the inside I can feel the rush of the anticipation of what is to come. 

“Yeah except he was wearing a suite and tie, and was with a girl who looked to be his younger sister. What’s so special about this one kid boss, I don’t get it.” 

‘Younger sister? Since when did the Perlman’s have a daughter?! How could I have missed this? I could have swore I had everything! Fuck! No matter, I will just have to….’ 

I smirk up at him curl my index finger in a come here motion and like the good dog he is, he comes no questions asked, my hands rub up his chest slowly on the fabric of his dark suit jacket. 

“Corey, Corey, there is nothing for you to get sweetheart. This boy is going to be the savior of all of my suffering and that is all you need to know. Now, why don’t you go fetch me my coat off the hanger over there and help me get it on. I have some unfinished business to attend to with a certain friend of ours.”

He does as he is told as all of them do and helps me into my coat, I pull out my cell phone from my purse and dial my cousin on speed dial as I head out of my office, down the steps and straight to the back of the club, to the back exit where I usually keep my limo(yes daddy was very generous to me before he died) I clear my throat when Corey doesn’t move and he lets out a soft “Oh!” and opens up the door for me, then closes it when I step into the car and plant myself on the plush leather red seats. 

“Yeah, it’s me. I have a little bit of information you may want to be in on.”

********

Elio 

“Come on Elio move your ass! I don’t want someone to get the dress I want!” Vimini drags me along the shopping mall flooring causing my shoes to squeak loudly as they skid across the newly waxed surface. Her eyes lit with an unspoken wish and an unspoken word on her lips, eager to get to her destination. 

Papa had insisted we go to the mall to find Vimini the perfect dress for the party and stead of maman coming with her and having what they called “girls day” I was forced to accompany my best friend instead who was more than adamant on me coming along. Meaning, she begged me profusely until I grew annoyed set my score down that I was working on and drove her in my dad’s car over here.   
“Would you slow down Vimini! What store are we looking for anyway? Do you even know where you are going?” 

I nearly stumbled over my own feet when we hit a particularly slick spot that had not dried yet, and I nearly bump into a woman on her cell phone, who was carrying Claire bags on her arms. The kid hanging off of her pant leg, glares at me and I nervously say “excuse me, I’m so sorry!” 

“Well duh! I wouldn’t be trying to get there in a hurry if I didn’t, you goose!” she rolls her eyes as I finally catch up to her pace, keeping a tight hold on her hand, as we begin to weave in and out of the crowd that is forming on the floor. 

The mall was crawling with people today, the echoing voices off the high ceilings didn’t do much for my hearing. In fact, the constant talking, and all the noise going on around us, the various music that plays in the different assortment of stores, accompanied with the chatter of the small stands that decorated the middle of the mall with them trying to get people to buy their products, made my ears quiver with annoyance, and made everything sound ten times louder than what it actually was. 

“Ohhh! Elio! There is it! I told you I would find it!” she beams at me and we take a hard left into a dress store. 

“Akkkk! Vim take it easy! Don’t tear my arm off, I kinda need it!” I laugh following her steps across the threshold, as the doors open up and a small ding sounds above the door, then everything is oddly quiet, except for the soft music that plays over the speakers in the room and my ears thank me for such a break. 

Soft jazz envelopes my ears and for a moment I wonder why in the world a dress shop would be playing jazz music. Instead of soft elevator music, or a catchy pop tune but before I can even begin to go down that road of thought a woman, in a dress suit, flats, with curly black hair and dark brown eyes comes up to us. 

“Hello is there anything I can help you find today?” her voice is warm and cheerful, her smile warm and friendly, her fingers clasped together in front of her.

“Yes my friend-” I begin, but Vimini and her overzealousness beats me to the punch as she begins to explain to the woman, what it is exactly she is looking for. 

“I came here not too long ago and I found the perfect dress in my favorite color. I was wondering if you still had it available for purchasing and if so, I would love to take it!” 

The woman seems to understand and know exactly the dress that Vimini is talking about so she leads her away to locate and try on the dress, leaving me to wander around the store aimlessly looking at all the different styles, colors and lengths of dresses. 

“Elio what do you think?” Vimini’s voice comes from behind me and as I turn around, my mouth drops to the floor, and my eyes take in my best friend from head to toe. 

“Vimini… that dress looks-” I was completely speechless on the one hand, that dress was more fitting for a wedding, it was actually a bridesmaid dress. I had seen a few identical ones hanging on the racks on the far right corner that were of the same style just in different colors other than the mulberry one Vimini had on.

She turned in a slow circle and the dress spun gently, her smile growing wider, her eyes shining with a glow of happiness. 

On the other hand I didn’t have the heart to tell her that, she looked like it suited her well and she was so happy, I don’t think papa would have an issue with it. It wasn't’ like the dress was really short to the point of being scandalous or anything of that nature. 

It was floor length dress but the front of it came up to show off her ankles and a part of her legs had ruffles at the bottom of it and the back was tied in a crisscross pattern that tied at the back of her neck. 

“It looks great on you Vimini. All of the boys will definitely be looking your way the night of the party and I’ll probably have to beat them away from you.” I tease playfully and she blushes, rubbing the back of her right foot on her calf. 

“Thanks Elio. that…. It means a lot to me that you have such a high opinion of me and what I like. You really are an angel from god.” she whispers and I laugh, shaking my head.

“I wouldn’t go that far! I am after all… a lowly piano player.” I was joking of course, when I said this I was always humble about playing the piano and my talent as an artist. 

I turn to the lady who stands there patiently waiting for Vimini's decision and she surprises the woman by hugging her. 

“Thank you so much we will take it.” 

*******

After the shopping spree for Vimini’s dress and a new pair of shoes to go along with it, I suggested that we get some bagels and some coffee before heading back to my parent’s house. 

“I heard about this new place, I had never tried before papa said that it was good. He said they have some of the tastiest coffee on that block and he also said that the bagels are so much better, than the ones back home in Crema.” 

“You shut your mouth Elio! No food is better than Crema food.” Vimini shifts in her seat to change the station on the radio before sitting back and swinging her legs idly, her hands in her lap. “So… Do you think that prostitute will show up?” 

I stop at the light and glance at her. “You have the most random brain of anyone that I have ever known. How in the hell do you go from Crema to Oliver so fast? Where did that even come from…” 

“Well I was thinking about the party and I thought maybe he might…. You know, wanna come?” she trails off the last part wincing when she sees the disbelief on my face. 

“Vimini he is not going to want to come to a wedding anniversary party! It is for my parents and not to mention my father would never allow a prostitute to come to their party. Not out of discrimination because my father isn’t that way, but the simple fact, that Oliver wouldn’t be interested in something like that.” 

She smirks while twisting a lock of her hair around her finger. “Oh and how would you know? You’ve only talked to the guy once and then you don’t ever see him again. So…. you don’t really know him or what he is like.” 

“Yeah, and whose fault is that? Miss I like to butt into other people’s conversations and have hawk ears so I have to listen to every little detail, that again… doesn’t need your input.” I point my finger at her making her giggle, as we drive off heading north.

‘Now where did my father say this place was again? What was it even called?’ 

I drum my fingers on the steering wheel trying my best to remember the name of the coffee shop that my father was talking about earlier that morning. It had a name that started with an F but that did nothing to narrow down my options since there were many places that weren’t coffee shops with names that started with an F. 

“V what was that name that dad talked about…”

Uh, elaboration please!” Vimini looks at me puzzled as she reaches over and presses the button to change the station again, it was on a commercial about food and I could hear my stomach already growling for a bagel, a sandwich, anything really to stop the hunger pain that was growing steadily. 

“What was the name of the coffee shop papa wanted us to try out?” I was looking up and down the streets as we passed them, remembering that the shop would be closed on the left side? Or was it right? Damn, why do I always do this? I swear I am not directionally challenged or anything like that! 

“It was called the Fluffy Enigma. Oh look! There it is up there on the left. Looks like you will be digging into them bagels really soon El.”

“Thank god!” 

I pull into the parking lot and into a space, throw the car in park, toss off my seatbelt and open the door like a madman, my stomach ready and waiting for that bagel goodness. Now it was my turn to grab Vimini by the hand and run across the street heading straight for the shop. 

I push the door open and immediately we are greeted by one of the workers who is wiping down the tables, we walk up to the front of the counter to place our order and out of the corner of my eye, I think I see a familiar face but, when the guy looked at me it wasn’t who I thought it was.  
*********

Oliver

I was in the back of the storage room putting new supplies away, when I got bombarded with a powerful scent that smelled of heavy perfume and my stomach drops instantly. 

"Scarlet, what are you doing here?" 

My voice wavers from surprise to nervousness, I reach out to grip the shelf as I turn around, upon hearing the door close shut and her expensive heels clicking across the concrete floor.

"What can't a girl come and see her favorite employee?" 

She looks around the room for a moment assessing the room as if she were a judge on a cooking show, my eyes following her every move as she speaks. Her gloved hand caressing the boxes to her left side as she comes closer to me, standing a few feet from me, she clicks her tongue at the roof of her mouth.

"So Oliver how are you doing? Everything, going good with the merchandise no…. Complaints, nothing to tell me about?" 

"Everything is fine, Scarlet what is with the impromptu visit? I don't have a lot of time, I am on the clock you know." 

I keep my voice calm and slowly go back to placing things on the shelf, cups, stir sticks, etc . With my back to her as my ears listen to what she is talking about.

" A little birdy told me that you made a new friend and I want to know who it is." 

"New friend? I don't know what you are talking about. I just went out with Corey and the others to a bar bought a couple of rounds for them, drank then went home and crashed. Also I believe it was your cousin that strictly said "follow the rules" verbatim so… where in the world would I have time to make friends?" 

Then it hits me. She was talking about Elio. 

"I also heard through the vine that you were invited to a certain party and I want you to take me with you.” 

I turn back around and cross my arms over my chest, putting myself to my full height, raising my eyebrows up towards my hair, my stance a little more wider as she smirks at me. She is making my blood warm while at the same time, I want to run from her but there is so much riding against me. 

“What party are you talking about? I know nothing about a party Scarlet and if i did-” I begin but she cuts me off with a hand to my throat, it wasn’t choking me, it was an open, gentle caress to my neck that made me shiver in response. 

“Pick me up at 7:30pm and Oliver do not forget who you belong to and what can happen if you cross me. I expect you to be in your best dressed and ready to go to work.” 

Her fingers curl around my jaw, pulling my head down to hers, she kisses me briefly, letting her teeth scrape against my bottom lip, biting me as she pulls away. Her eyes sultry, my eyes glazed slightly at the very motion of her tongue going across her lips. 

I watch her leave the storage room as I try to make my heart relax and get back to work, heading out of the storage room. 

“When did you get a girlfriend?” one of my coworkers asks as she makes a caramel macchiato, while I take the customers money, placing it in the cash register then proceed to grab their change. 

“She isn’t my girlfriend.” my tone is a lot sharper than I had wanted it to come out which earned me a surprised look from the girl and I apologize to her as she hands over the customers coffee. 

For the rest of the day while I was at work I wondered about this party that Scarlet had heard about. I don’t remember ever being invited to a party, and if I was invited why am I just hearing about this now? For one, and two who was throwing a party?   
These questions bugged me the entire rest of my shift until, I was clocking out and heading home going through the front of the building, about to pass up the front desk when I was flagged down. 

“Oliver dear! Wait just a moment, I have something for you. A nice older gentleman with glasses came by and said that this was for you.”

“What did the man look like?” I ask simply out of curiosity walking over to the desk, I grab the envelope and turn it over in my hands. 

“He had round glasses, a bread with a grey sprinkled through it, spoke very intelligently, was very polite and quite handsome if I do say so myself. “

I smile to myself and thank the woman before jogging up the steps to my floor, holding the letter tightly with a new found energy. 

Sammy 

I hadn’t heard from him in a week or two and was beginning to wonder what happened to him. 

Grabbing my keys from my pocket, I quickly put the key into the door and unlock it, pushing it open I go through the door, kicking it shut with my foot. I toss the keys on the counter and turn the envelope over with the back facing me and tear into it. 

Dear Oliver,

I apologize for my absence recently. Recently I have been very busy with my projects and with the preparations for my anniversary party to which you are invited. All of our friends will be attending and I would love it if you could make an appearance and celebrate with us. I thought about sending you an e-mail or a text but I thought that this letter would be more personal. I look forward to seeing you please come! 

Sincerely, 

Sammy 

Ps. The party is of formal clothing so dress accordingly and no presents are required of your attendance just your charming personality will do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! remember comments are always welcomed and encouraged ^_^


	12. My Oh My

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Love is a feeling Give it when I want it 'Cause I'm on fire, Quench my desire, Give it when I want it  
> Give in to me Give in to me.” -”Give In To Me” by Michael Jackson
> 
> The Perlman's Party has finally arrived!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title comes from the song “My Oh My” by Camila Cabello also I very well know what a prostitute is but in this universe we are going to pretend what Oliver does and what prostitutes do are different. okay? okay. XD 
> 
> * Official trigger warning* 
> 
> Heavy partying, drinking, weed smoking on Oliver and Elio's part, as well as smut that may not be in this chapter but will definitely be in either the next chapter or the chapter after this. 
> 
> I had prewritten these chapters before I began posting my story to this site so any mistakes are mine alone. and If the translations are wrong feel free to correct me! Enjoy and have fun! =3

img src="https://i.postimg.cc/zXj7nmJd/Pics-Art-12-09-08-31-50.jpg"/>

September 12th 2020: The Perlman’s residence- 9:00-9:30pm

Another one of my parent’s parties that they throw on occasion this time, there are multiple people. They come by the thousands it would seem, all dressed in their black suits and ties, the woman dressed in their evening gowns, they look like they stepped out of a ball magazine. Many of these people I know from my father’s work as a professor at Columbia, while the rest must be, I assume… friends of friends because there are faces here that I have never seen in my life. Most of my friends are out tonight, going to the movies, and going to clubs while I am stuck here to deal with endless comments of “Oh look how much you have grown!” and “You look so handsome!” A lot of the talk is either about my appearance or how proud my family is of me becoming a professional piano player. Which doesn’t bother me as much as the comments that you usually give to little kids not 24 year old adults who live on their own, that’s just creepy when it’s coming from other adults. 

I down my second glass of wine, rubbing my chest gently with my left hand, the feeling of needing to burp is stuck in my chest and set the empty glass on the tray as Robert comes by in a matching suit and his snow white gloves that cover his fingers. 

“Merci, Robert.” he bows his head at me and offers me another which I take without a second thought, I need some way to entertain myself through this boredom. I decided to go into the lounge and prop myself across my best friend's lap and her girlfriend’s, along with Vimini who was drinking her fourth glass of coca cola for the night.

Selene and Joy were close to my age. Selene was 25 and Joy was 28. Both older than me but we had messed around on occasion during the summer the three of us, before Selene had decided that she liked girls or more specifically she liked Joy a whole lot. However, we all managed to stay good friends the three of us.

I was half listening to what Joy was saying when something had caught my eye. No not something… someone it was a man dressed in a black and white suite, who had walked into the lounge with a gorgeous woman on his arm dressed in a crimson dress that came down to the top of her knees. My eyes follow them as my friends are saying things in french, clearly entranced by the way these two are looking at each other as they wait for their drinks at the bar.

It was clear these two were together and as I continued to watch them, my eyes followed the man’s hand as he caressed the woman’s ankle, his hand slowly moving up her left calf and continuing upwards, slow then up to her inner thigh, his eyes focused on hers the entire time. The woman seems unphased by the thought of all the people that were in the room, her hand on his shoulder, while her other hand rests on top of the bar. 

I blink. 

‘Why does this guy look so familiar? And how dare they touch in such a way in front of all these people! Are they crazy? He has some serious balls to be doing what he is doing? Wait… he isn’t doing what I think he is… is he? Stop staring! That’s very rude!’

Both of my friends looked at me and then back at them clearly aware that those two now had my undivided attention and that I was no longer listening to them. 

“elle est belle non?” Joy replies in my ear as we all watch the lady whisper something into the man’s ear. I was still trying to figure out where I had seen him before. He had a familiar face of someone I knew, I know that face, where have I seen him before…

“Je donnerais n'importe quoi pour être lui.” (I would give anything to be him) Selene playfully jokes as Joy hits her arm, then kisses her exposed shoulder as the sleeve of her black dress falls slightly. 

I watched the woman hop down from the bar and take him by the hand, as they begin to dance on the marble floor to the jazz band that has been playing for most of the night. 

My eyes can’t look away from either of them with my drink still in my hand, now abandoned completely. I lay there watching them dance, they dance very seductively even though it wasn’t the tango they were doing. He was spinning her around in a circle, her eyes were locked on his and she was laughing. 

As I watched him slowly dip her and I watched her right leg go up and hook around his clothed thigh, they were staring very intently at each other. So passionately that for a moment I literally thought that they would fuck each other right there on the dance floor in front of all of the guests. 

I feel this warm sensation in my stomach and I can no longer watch them dance, I tear my eyes away and scramble to get to my feet, I stumble slightly as I try to keep myself upright, I pull at my tie, loosening it and popping the top two buttons of my shirt.

“Je vais prendre de l'air, j'ai besoin d'air, pouvez-vous regarder ma boisson pour moi?” (I am going to get some air, I need air. Can you guys watch my drink for me?)

I was feeling hot all of the sudden, and the lights as well as all the guests chattering, the loud melodical music wasn’t helping the situation. So I walk out of the lounge as quickly as I can, being careful to not bump into anyone as I was making my way out, with my head down and my eyes aimed at the floor.

I make it out to the west balcony closest to my parent’s garden before anyone can catch me with a conversation and I shut the large french doors and grab my pack of cigarettes from my pocket. I pull one out and light it, inhale closing my eyes, the smoke fills my lungs in a french inhale. 

The sounds of the party are still going on though now muffled by the shut door and now the only sounds I hear are the cars, the crickets, and my own breathing along with my very thoughts. 

The lights of the city glowed in the distance.

I was about half way through my cigarette, when my father’s voice came from behind me and asked me to play for the guests. I wasn’t in the mood to play the piano or the guitar tonight, I had just gotten done with a tour in Germany and just wanted to relax, enjoy the party and hang out with my friends like I used to when I was seventeen. But papa was in such good spirits that I didn’t want to start an argument with the man that had been nothing but good to me over the years. This party was for my parent’s 45th wedding anniversary and they wanted to spend it with all of the friends and family so who was I to ruin their joyous occasion, with my selfishness. 

I take a few more drags off of my cigarette and I scrape the end of it against the green metal railing effectively snuffing it out and I walk with my father back inside the house, with his arm wrapped around my shoulders and my arm wrapped around my father’s shoulders, I kiss the side of his temple. 

Back inside the house I was following my father back to the lounge, when I hear my father say in a cheerful tone. “Oliver! I am so glad you could make it tonight!” he releases me and I watch him embrace the man in a full body hug, clapping him on the back as the tall man bends down a little to accommodate for his height. 

‘Oliver? Oliver…. That name sounds familiar too.’

That’s when it hits me… this was the man that I had met at the piano bar a month before. When I was playing a small show at one of the local piano bars here in town in august! We had spoken briefly before when I was on my break from playing the third song of the night, and I was in much need of a glass of water. I remember being in a very upset state from my break up with Marzia that I had decided to play at the bar to take my mind off of what happened. 

I don’t remember now what we fought about but that is not really important right now. 

When my father pulls back from the embrace he turns to me and introduces me to Oliver, as he does I extend my hand out for him to shake it. The moment he touches my hand, his grip is strong, warm and friendly, his lips pull upwards into a wide smile, his azure blue eyes lock with my emerald ones and for a moment, I forget how to speak.

Just like the first time. Shocked that he would even speak to me, I hadn't been in the mood to talk to anyone but as I sat there with him I found that he moved here a few months ago back in July if I remember correctly. 

Thank god my father spoke for me then if I would have tried to at that moment, I probably would have rambled like an idiot. He didn’t know that we had met before and I wasn’t about to tell him how we met, instead, I decided to play it cool and just smile when Oliver shook my hand and in a friendly tone replied,

“Oliver, nice to meet you Elio.” his eyes staying on mine, staring directly at me during our exchange, with an all knowing smile that made me smirk.

“You too.” I said when I was finally able to speak, trying to pry my hand away from his as my heart started beating a little fast in my chest.

‘ You’re acting like he is some movie star that you have a crush on! Pull yourself together! He has a girlfriend! ‘

“Don’t tell me you are leaving already?” my father says with slight disappointment in his voice. 

“Oh no professor! I’m not leaving! I just need to use the restroom would you…” he trails off as my father makes his ‘ah’ face and points in the direction of the bathroom that is located on the first floor, the fourth door on the left. 

“Thank you so much! Nice meeting you Elio.” he says quickly then after that he turns on his heels and heads off in the direction of the restroom, with nothing but the steady *tap* *tap* *tap* of his shoes on the cream colored tile as he walked fast paced to go relieve himself.

***

As we made our way into the lounge I noticed the woman in the red dress standing in the corner, with a glass of champagne in her right hand, held to her chest, her left hand rested on a much older gentleman’s shoulder, a few strands of her long hair was now sitting over the front of her left shoulder. Her lips painted a glossy red again her light obnoxious laughter echoes through the air and hits my ears making me grimace. 

She seemed to be flirting with this gentleman and I became confused as I watched her. She looks my way, for a brief moment, giving me a light smile, before she takes a sip of her drink turning her attention back to the man she was talking to. 

‘If she is with Oliver then why… it’s none of my business! Stay out of Oliver’s personal life, you met the guy a month ago and here you are getting jealous over a woman you don’t even know.’

“Play well my darling.” my mother comments giving a squeeze to my arm as I sit down at the piano and begin to play for our guests. I then watched her take her place next to my father who was standing by the fireplace, in the corner by the mahogany bookcase that held my father’s multitude of archaeology books. 

While I played it still amazed me how the moment that I began to play, everyone in the room just stopped talking and they all gave me their attention. All pairs of eyes all on me, making me feel a little anxious and becoming self conscious of wanting to play well, even though I had played Chopin’s Ballade No. 4 in F minor, Op. 52 many times.

I played a few more songs after Chopin and I got a multitude of endless applause as I stood up and took a bow bending at my waist, my curls flopping about as I do then stand back up. Then I head to my parents and kiss both of them on their cheeks as I relay to them that I would be in the library working on my music, then tell them happy anniversary. 

My exit is a hasty one. Once again not wanting to deal with the afternoon drudgery as I soon later would call it.

***

10:00pm

The library was on the north end of the house downstairs past the kitchen where Mafalda cooked all of our meals and Robert would serve everyone drinks. 

It was a decent size library for being in a mansion,it wasn't giant like the library in beauty and the beast and it wasn't too small either, the room itself was of a medium size.

The walls were of a deep cherry red with black trim, the floor a smooth black to match the curtains, and the chairs, and the L shaped couch was of black soft material so that every time you say on them, you felt like you were sitting on a pillow. 

There was a window seat as well that when you looked out the window you could see my mother's roses bushes and lillies that had grown, the bushes always trimmed to perfection by Manfredi (he looks after the garden)

Having a window seat in this room was my idea when Maman was in the process of decorating it when they had first moved in.

"I want something that reminds me of home. please,I miss the window seat in my room." I said to her in a nostalgic almost petulant whine and she made it happen. After taking it over with my father of course.  
I go to the bookshelf and grab Edgar Allen Poe's poems and go to my spot at the window seat, the light a dim glow of the lamp filling the room with enough mood lighting to satisfy my mood of comfort in wanting to escape. 

I open up the book and begin to read.

My eyes follow every word of “The Raven” when I hear someone coming down the hallway. The footsteps seemed heavy and slow but I didn't look up from the book. I am very aware that the footsteps have moved into the room with me now and I assume that it is papa wanting me to play again. 

“papa je n'ai pas envie de jouer à nouveau du piano. Puis-je s'il vous plaît faire une pause, je veux lire mon livre.”

I say trying to be as respectful as I can without sounding highly irritated by the very thought of having to play for the fourth time tonight. I had been playing throughout the night and I was now exhausted from playing, as much as I love my piano and music being my first love, I need a break from it every great once in a while. 

“Papa? Hm… never been called that before. So… that’s what you're into never would have guessed you had a daddy kink.” 

My head snaps up quickly and I end up dropping my book on the floor when I see not papa standing there but Oliver. His eyes are filled with amusement and he slowly bends to pick up my book for me, and I flush with embarrassment. 

“Daddy kink? Oh! No no no, heh I um… shit. I’m sorry. I- uh… I thought you were-” 

“Your dad.” he raises his eyebrow in amusement and smirks at me as I feel my throat becoming dry. “No he is downstairs currently dancing with your mother. Why aren’t you downstairs with everybody else?” 

He stands back up to his full height, toying with my book in his hands looking it over, as he continues to speak, I watch his lips form every syllable of every word coming out. My ears not catching a word he is saying, his presence is very distracting to me, so is his mouth apparently. 

“Huh?” 

“Why aren’t you downstairs with everybody else?” he repeats more directly as I snap out of the daze I’m in and clear my throat, my body shifting as I pull my feet to my chest, finally able to look up at his eyes. 

“I’m allergic.” 

‘I’m allergic? What in the hell?! Is that all you can come up with seriously?’ my conscious hisses at me and my heart skips a beat as if to chuckle. 

“Hm. allergic to people looks like we have the same allergy then since, I don’t really like to mingle that much myself too often. So… edgar allen poe huh? Such morbid subjects for a rather festive occasion don’t you think?” 

“I find Poe to be exactly what I need at the moment.” I say rather curtly and don’t mean to but I see that he is unphased as he replies with a simple, 

“fair enough.”

There is a pause that passes between us as he hands me my book back and I set it on the window sill next to me as he motions with his hand indicating to me that he wants to sit down. “May I?” 

“Sure.” 

I shift moving to put my legs down as he sits on the other side across from me, a long heavy sigh escapes his lips as he sits back, resting the back of his head on the window with a soft thud. He sits there with his hands resting on his knees, his legs spread apart slightly, his body looks relaxed but his expression looks almost as tired as I feel.

I find myself staring again this time, taking in the features of his face. 

When I saw him last time, he didn’t have the beginnings of a beard, he was clean shaven and I don’t remember him having pierced ears either. He kinda reminded me of George Michaels, without the sunglasses and the fame. Odd I know, but that was the only thing that came to mind, other than the fact that I found myself wanting to reach out and touch the hair on his cheek just to see what it felt like. 

I sadly did not have the beard growing gene that my father was blessed with so…I was cursed with looking like a prepubescent boy for the rest of my life. Except for my tiny mustache that would grow that you could barely see if you looked close enough, which I didn’t think counted. 

“Why aren’t you down stairs with your girlfriend?” 

His laugh is soft and amusing when it comes out and he opens his eyes to glance at me from the corner of his right eye. 

“You think that Scarlet and I are?” he lifts his head from the window to properly look at me.”She isn’t my girlfriend, she is one of my clients actually. I am here with her because she asked me to come with her and I am actually on the clock believe it or not I am working.” 

“Client? What are you a lawyer or something?” 

‘His smile kills me’

“Not exactly. Um… I’m an entertainer like you, I entertain people just not with grand pianos or fancy dinner parties. I’m basically in the business of desire, whatever someone desires I am the one to give it to them and they pay me to fulfill such desires.”

“Oh so you're a prostitute.” I was being sarcastic when I said this joking even just as my friend Vimini had and he laughs at my words, his hand coming to rest on his lap as his shoulders shook lightly underneath his suit jacket. 

His laugh is soft, a soothing breath of air mixed with disbelief and I can’t help but laugh myself, I feel myself smiling.

“What? Isn’t that what you are? You said people pay for your services so I just assumed…” I put my hands up in defense. 

He now turns his body to face mine and I suddenly feel like a doll being next to a massive tree. He is a 6’5 guy when I am just 5’10. 

“I am an escort.” he clarifies. “Prositutes are in the business of sex only and get paid for only sex Elio, what I do goes way beyond sex, it just depends on what the client wants specifically. It doesn’t have to be just sex, there are some who simply want someone to talk to, while others want a companion to do things with like going to the movies or in this case a young woman wanting to go to a fancy party but her husband doesn’t want to go with her. So she calls me instead. Understand now?” 

“Would you like a drink?” I say suddenly in need of a drink myself, getting up from where I was sitting, I head over to the small cabinet in the far corner where my father kept more of the small liquor bottles and began to dig into it. 

“Oh, no I couldn’t. I know myself I have had one already, and if I have another… let’s just say I know myself so I better not. Thanks anyway.” He politely declines with a soft chuckle. 

I grab a little bottle of whiskey and bring it with me back to where I was sitting, my shoes tapping softly on the hard floor. I do a little spin on my feet before I plop back down and twist the cap off the bottle. Taking a drink of the amber liquid, feeling it burn on the way down, my eyes widen and he smirks at me. 

“I still think you're a prostitute.” I tease him while taking another drink and he gently hits me with his right shoulder as he sways a little grinning. 

“You know what I thi-” 

He doesn’t get to finish his sentence, a female voice interrupts us and when I look towards the doorway, I see the woman in red standing there with her hands on her hips. Her demeanor seems serious, and I’ve seen this look come over my mother’s face some times when she wants papa to do something but he forgot about her request. 

When she speaks however, her voice is nice. An eerie pleasantness mixed with seductive like purr that seems all too familiar, as being associated with someone who is not of a genuine nature but someone who is trying to fake being nice but isn’t doing a good job at it. 

“There you are Oliver, I was looking everywhere for you to come dance with me? They are playing my song and I need a partner.” 

‘What is Oliver doing with a woman like this? I don’t even know her and she is already rubbing me the wrong way. She is so rude why? Would he…’

She holds out her hand and like an obedient dog he gets up, straightens his suit jacket looking back at me with an apologetic look, having seemed to remember he is there under obligation to this dragon lady. 

‘Please don’t go yet I was having such a good time with you! Stay with me!’ 

I wanted to say this out loud but instead I tried to plead with my eyes, almost begging him to stay for a minute longer or more stay for a whole hour.

“Later!” he says to me in a tone that seems like he didn’t care for our conversation and he proceeds to walk out of the room, holding out his arm to the woman and they disappear from the room, leaving me completely stunned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is what Elio said in the library:  
> “papa je n'ai pas envie de jouer à nouveau du piano. Puis-je s'il vous plaît faire une pause, je veux lire mon livre.”
> 
> English translation: papa I am not in the mood to play piano again. Can I please have a break? I want to read my book. 
> 
> Joy to Elio in french:“elle est belle non?” Translation: “she is beautiful, isn’t she?”
> 
> This next part will be explored from Oliver’s pov for the next chapter! ^^


	13. Enjoy The Silence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I don’t pay you to disappear on me Oliver, you are my guest and you are on my time!” she hisses at me with malice, as we walk arm and arm down the hallway heading back to the lounge. I just smile at a couple who were heading in the opposite directions as us and bow my head in kind. Before defending myself to a woman who clearly I can never win with but for some reason she keeps asking for me by name. 
> 
> “I wasn’t flirting with him, Scarlet. I was having an adult conversation with him that was all but if you are so bothered by my actions...I could always return you back to our husband early and terminate our agreement.” I say flat out in a calm tone and I see her look at me in fear? Desperation? As if taking a favorite kids toy away from them and watching them beg for it back.
> 
> ‘not that it is any of your concern, what I do with other people.” I thought to myself as we continued to walk my pace slowing just a little to match hers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This entire part will consist of Oliver’s and Elio’s pov ^^ 
> 
> Fun fact: "Enjoy the Silence" by Depeche mode covered by K Theory and Lacuna Coil was the inspiration behind this entire story, mixed with the inspiration of Death on The Nile which my boy Armie stares in it was the trailer as well as the idea of clue that created this beautiful masterpiece that is my fanfic! which I am pretty sure i have said already, I tend to repeat myself sometimes but that is okay! =3

10:15 pm: Lounge room: Oliver’s Pov 

“I don’t pay you to disappear on me Oliver, you are my guest and you are on my time!” she hisses at me with malice, as we walk arm and arm down the hallway heading back to the lounge. I just smile at a couple who were heading in the opposite directions as us and bow my head in kind. Before defending myself to a woman who clearly I can never win with but for some reason she keeps asking for me by name. 

“I wasn’t flirting with him, Scarlet. I was having an adult conversation with him that was all but if you are so bothered by my actions...I could always return you back to our husband early and terminate our agreement.” 

I say flat out in a calm tone and I see her look at me in fear? Desperation? As if taking a favorite kids toy away from them and watching them beg for it back.

‘not that it is any of your concern, what I do with other people.’ I thought to myself as we continued to walk my pace slowing just a little to match hers. 

We enter the room again and join the others who are dancing to a song that I don’t really recognize. I found myself getting into the beat and as my body moves to the beat of the song, my mind is back on that sarcastic boy upstairs and wishing that I could be up there with him. 

I spent the next two hours which, might I add, were the longest two hours of my life dancing and mingling with the other guests with Scarlet at her request. She insisted on it and I figured it was her way of keeping me from Elio. so like a good boy I stay with her and move as she does. My feet are starting to hurt, from all the dancing we did but I stay quiet. 

Out of the corner of my eye I catch someone, walking past my back and I feel the touch of a hand, It’s brief but it sends a shiver up my back and makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I turn my head and see Elio dancing with one of the girls that had been sitting on the couch with him, along with Vimini who I had seen but forgot to say hello to earlier when I walked by with Scarlet. She looked lovely in her fancy dress and I had wanted to comment on that as well but, again I couldn't. I was there to work. 

It was his hand that touched me. 

When our eyes meet he is downing another drink from the color of it, looks like a champaign he raises his glass up to me as he dances and I smile back at him in turn as Vimini waved in my direction, to which this time, I waved back at her.

“Why don’t we go dance again. I think I've rested enough.” I pull Scarlet with me and this time I make us blend into the crowd and purposefully, turn her around just so that she doesn’t see Elio on the dance floor. If she can’t see him, then she can’t get pissed again by his presence being around me. 

I don’t know if it was the energy that was coming off of Elio that made me want to be near him. Or if it was because of me wanting to finish our conversation from earlier. But the whole time we were dancing Elio would not stop staring at me, his eyes were locked on me just like I had felt hours earlier. 

“What?” I mouthed to him giving him a confused look, I didn't understand what he was trying to say over the music and he rolled his eyes, and pointed in the direction of the library as he turned the girl he was dancing with in a few circles. 

I try to get the jest of what he wants. He has been trying to get my attention for most of the night and now here he is again. 

“What about it?” I mouth again clearly frustrated now, as I feel Scarlet tug at the back of my hair to get my attention, I pull her closer to my body and I see her smile at me. In that way that says she wants to go somewhere more private, and I nod in agreement but I tell her that I need to use the restroom again  
“She presses her lips to my right ear and seductively purrs to, I quote, “hurry back” and I kiss her cheek then motion with my eyes for Elio to follow.

I take off out of the room in a casual manner, though walking rather briskly cuz I am supposed to be going to the bathroom, but my feet direct me back to the library. The second I make it there I slam the door behind me not meaning to and lock one of them from the inside, while I let the other stay unlocked. 

I don’t know who is going to kill me first, the cartel lady or the musician with the sarcastic mouth and beautiful face. Either way I was bound to not end up dead from one of them. 

I hold my breath when I hear movement coming down the hallway as I have my back against the locked door, sweat slowly dripping down my temple from dancing, I grip the doorknob with my left hand just to hold it, to ground myself. 

The feet become faster and then they stop and the door opens. I see that mop of dark hair and sigh in relief, then pull him into the room, shutting the door with my other hand and locking the other side. 

“Now, what were you going to say before we were rudely interrupted?” 

“What?” I say confused stepping away from the door to stand to his left side, lending against the bookcase, touching it with my shoulder. 

“You said, “You know what I think?” and then that woman came barging into the room and you never got to tell me what you thought. So… what do you think?” he sounds nervous all of the sudden, to know what my thought previously was. 

“Do you really care that much about what I think?” my voice comes out amused, yet soft the cadence is soothing but the playfulness is there but I was also being serious. 

I watched him look away from me, his eyes cast down, his expression seemed to be pondering over what he was going to say at first. Then he decides to take a few steps towards me and I let out a soft huff of a laugh when he grins at me.  
“I think you are jealous.” I finally said it out loud and he laughs nervously, his eyes falling from mine. 

“Me! Jealous of what? Of who? Scarlet? Why would I….” he trails off and I can’t help but smile, as he looks back at me, biting his bottom lip. His fingers tangle with each other as I have come to know that is a nervous habit of his that I find oddly adorable. 

“You have been staring at us all night. So either that tells me that you are jealous of her or you want something from me. Which is it? Because I have to be back downstairs with her so she doesn’t come looking for me. So if you’re gonna say something then you need to talk fast.” 

My eyes follow his every move as I loosen my tie just a sliver but not fully taking it off, he is walking over to the cabinet again, digging for another bottle of something… as he continues to talk to me, he says something I don’t expect him to say. 

“How much is she paying you Oliver?” I watch him shut the cabinet as my mouth falls open in shock, then it is quickly masked over by mirth. I cross my arms over my chest and eye him weary, as I hear the top of the bottle hiss as it comes clean off the head, Elio is now walking towards me with intent.

“I can’t tell you that information Elio, even if I wanted to. So don’t even go there okay, look… I am sorry that she ruined our fun tonight but I can not stay here and hang out with you. As much as I would like that and talk more, I am literally-”

“You can if I paid you to hang out with me.” he says smugly, setting the bottle down on the table, he walks over to me and stands in my space, his head tilted upwards, those eyes so intently searching my own. For what? An answer of yes? 

‘Where is he going with this… wait! What time is it?!!!! I have to get Scarlet home before her husband has my ass!’ shit shit shit!’ 

“Elio…” I trail off pinching the bridge of my nose closing my eyes as I feel a slight headache coming on and I hadn’t had that much to drink yet. I need to leave and now! I walk past him to the door, and am about to open the door when he is in my path. This time those eyes are begging and his body is up against the door I don’t know whether to give in or shut this down quickly. 

‘To be honest he is making things very difficult for me and I wouldn’t mind it. I love a good challenge if it were any other night. But right now… all I want to do is get the fuck out of here and get this woman home before I end up fired.’

I look at him then at my watch and my eyes widen. “I can’t stay, I’m sorry I have to go it’s midnight.” I relay this information to him in hopes that he will be understanding and move so I can go. But instead, I get this…

“What? You afraid that your carriage is going to turn into a pumpkin?” he smirks at me, and that smugness is back and I don’t know whether to smack it off his face or kiss him. I am sure he is definitely feeling the latter right now, but as I said I can’t stay here. 

I let out a heavy sigh and grab him gently by the shoulders and physically move him out of the way. “Stay here and don’t move.” I say sternly then I leave the room shutting the door behind me, as I descend the stairs quickly my mind has about twenty seconds to make itself up and weigh the consequences of my actions of whatever decision I make. 

‘Do I take Scarlet home and get paid the money she owes me and get to live another day? Or do I stay at the Perlman’s house and continue to hangout with one of the most interesting people I’ve ever laid my eyes on, laugh my ass off, drink as much as I want and still get paid without the consequence of death over my head?’ 

“Scarlet!” I ran to her nearly out of breath and she turned to me with a surprised yet, irritated look on her face. 

***  
12:00pm

Elio 

“Well so much for that!” I say watching him go for the second time tonight, I don’t know what I was thinking that someone like me would ever be able to keep his attention, longer than just an hour or even a minute without getting interrupted by someone. 

I move away from the door and sit down at my spot at the window seat and pick up the book that I had been reading and place it on the small desk that was to my left dropping it with a loud thud, then sit with my knees pulled to my chest, and I glance out the window, my reflection mirrored back to me in the moonlight from the window. 

‘I don’t know why he would have stayed just for me, she was definitely pretty but the way she yelled at him like that.’ 

I blow through my mouth and let my head fall back as I stare up at the ceiling as my arms encircle my legs, I lock my hands and with all my might I try to will him back to my side. As I do I hear bickering outside of the door and decide to go check it out. 

Oliver is speaking with Scarlet and from the looks of things she isn’t happy with him. I only catch a few sentences of what they are talking about but from the sound of things, it is over what time it is but the rest I can’t hear. When things look like they are going to escalate between the two I decide to head down the stairs and help the situation. 

“Excuse me, miss…” I say in my very polite tone I use when I am speaking to strangers and she looks at me with that stern look on her face and then looks at Oliver who is surprised to see me standing there next to him.

“What do you want!” she snaps tapping her foot on the floor impatiently, her brown eyes are boiling at this point and I am about to really piss her off but I don’t care. I want Oliver to stay with me so that I can get to know him and with this woman hanging around us, it is clear that she won’t allow that to happen. 

“Oliver can’t take you home. He has had too much to drink and my father requests that all guests who have drank anything other than lemonade, tea, or water and are clearly too impaired to drive must stay here. It is for everyone’s safety ma’am so.. Oliver will have to stay here. I have been counting his drinks since he got here, and from the looks of it he is clearly too drunk to drive anywhere tonight. So I could call you an uber or a cab whichever you prefer to take you home.” 

Oliver glances at me then to Scarlet clearly trying to find a way out of this predicament in a respectful manner not wanting to start anything further. 

“The rules are the rules. If the pro said no driving drunk then I will respect his wishes by staying here, I am sorry. You don’t have to pay me for this evening, you can use that money for the cab fair and if you would like you can write a report about your evening to the service. If you have any complaints, then please feel free to send them in. Thank you so much for the evening, even if I did ruin it for you, and for that I sincerely apologize for my unprofessionalism tonight.” 

She looks at me and glares, “whatever… Oliver you will be sorry for this.” She threatens and I ask Robert to escort her out of my parent’s house with a straight face and I make sure she is all the way out, then wait an additional minute to make sure that she is safely tucked into the cab and driving away before giving Oliver my attention again.

Oliver stares at me completely dumbfounded by what just happened and his mouth is practically hanging open like a fish. “How….” is all he can manage to say and I shrug my shoulders, with a sly smile plastered on my lips as I walk back to the library with him in tow behind me. 

“My father doesn’t associate with snobby people like that, he is more of a man of pride and compassion. He enjoys the intellectuals more so than people like that dragon lady.” 

I sound matter of factly and I hear Oliver snort behind me as if he wants to laugh but decides better of it. As we ascend the stairs once more to the library room and I open the door for him to step inside. Once he walks through I shut the door and we are finally alone again for the third time? Or is it fourth? I don’t remember and who is counting anyway!

“So Mr. Oliver, how does requiring your services work exactly?” I turn to him with my hands behind my back as I walk around the room absentmindedly, as Oliver stares at me.

“You’re kidding me? Elio…” he begins but I hold up my hand to silence him and he clears his throat. “Well… what is it exactly that you are looking for? Companionship? Sex? Someone to talk to about your problems? What is it that you desire right now in this moment.” 

No one had ever asked me that question before, not even growing up did I ever hear the words “What is it that you desire much less, “what is it that you want?” I flushed at the thought of something that I had thought about but never had the courage to ask for it flat out because I thought it was silly. 

“Would you mind if I held your hand.'' It was a simple request, a silly little request that only children would ask their parents when they would go to the doctor or when they were at the dentist getting work done on their teeth, not 24 year old men. 

Oliver seemed to catch this and came closer to me and I felt myself heat up with that same, intense feeling I felt earlier. To have him this close to me, I feel…

“You would be surprised by the little things people ask for, especially adults when they are lonely. I had someone pay me twenty three dollars just for me to hug them for an hour, because their mom died and their family lived in Mexico and couldn’t make it to the funeral. And then there was a guy who asked me if I could sit with him and just talk for an hour while he waited for his bus.”

Oliver walks away from me and sits down on the L shape couch, he allows his body to become completely relaxed, his posture changing from sitting up straight to slouching slightly with his arms resting on the back of the couch, his feet planted on the floor, his eyes on me.

“How much would it be to do that.. Hold your hand, I mean.” 

‘Why am I feeling so shy? I wanted this didn’t I? And now he is here with me, maybe I wasn’t expecting him to agree with me in front of her so suddenly like that.’

“It just depends on how much you want to give me. I don’t have a set rate. I let the clients decide what they want to give me but it is usually by the hour.”

“I see…” I put my hands behind my back and sway on my feet looking down at my feet. 

Oliver sits there drumming to the beat of the music downstairs whatever that song is he seems to like it. I smile to myself even though it is awkward as hell right now, that is something I found out that we had in common. Music. He has a very big range of music that he enjoys listening to even classical music. 

“What are you doing just standing around? You want me to hang out with you right?” 

“Yes.” 

He pats a spot on the couch next to him. “So why don’t you come sit down and we can finish our conversation, from earlier. Unless you had something else in mind.” 

I walk over and sit down on the couch next to him and he turns his hand over slowly on his thigh, palm upwards I notice a black ring on his right ring finger, and a black leather bracelet on his wrist. I didn’t notice them before when I first met him. 

‘He must like the color black a lot’

“Anything I desire?” I ask turning to face him shifting so that my left leg is bent resting on the cushion, while my right dangles over the side. I was still skeptical about what he had just said could I really have anything?

"Anything you desire." He puts his hand in mine and laces our fingers together, his fingers are calloused and warm against my own. 

I raise my eyebrow. "Anything I want?" I say with a smirk and he lets out a full hearted laugh from his chest and I blush, hitting him in the arm with my hand. 

"Hey! I'm only asking because I've never done this before! I’ve never asked for an escort before so…”

"You are adorable and yes, anything you want for as long as you want.” he squeezes my hand.

***

I took full advantage of the opportunity presented to me and kept ahold of Oliver's hand the entire time. He didn't seem to mind this as we talked about music, girlfriends, boyfriends and anything else that I wanted to know about this man that had suddenly come into my life again unexpectedly. 

"I could use a drink." Oliver stretches and releases my hand brief to stand up and walks over to the table where I had left out a full bottle of champagne just in case he wanted some.

"I thought you didn't drink when you're on the clock." 

I tease sitting indian style, brushing my hair back from my eyes, taking in his body from a far now that I simply could. 

The long legs, broad shoulders, slightly muscular build, his dark brown hair almost black in the dim lighting of the room, his large hands which I noticed when we were holding hands, could practically swallow mine and I loved that about him, his fingers slightly rough not as rough as mine from my constant hours of playing my instruments.

"I don't." I watch him fill up the cap from the bottle and take a shot of it. He hums appreciatively and I can't help but watch the way his eyes close in enjoyment. 

He brings the bottle back over to the couch with him and he sits down beside me, out of instinct I take his unused hand into my own and we continue to talk for hours and drink with each other sharing the bottle, not bothering to dirty up anymore of my mother’s expensive crystal glasses. 

To be continued...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was getting too long so the boys night shall continue in the next part, I wanted them to get to know each other a little more, and have some genuine fun together before the really fun stuff begins =3 so up next some drunk hilarity more convo and possibly a first kiss or two? Maybe… more gotta read to find out!
> 
> also I promise that Vimini will indeed have more interaction with Oliver throughout this story, I am just not sure when she will decide to show up again. :/


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Words are very unnecessary they can only do harm.”-(Enjoy the silence” by Depeche mode, covered by Lacuna Coil and Ki Theory)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> trigger warning* This chapter will mention homophobic slurs, as we dig into Oliver’s past just a little bit with his family, and a few of his clients, Abuse: emotional and physical abuse as well. Other things will include drinking, smoking weed, lots of headbanging to Lacuna Coil’s version of “Enjoy the Silence”

12:00 pm-1:45 am

Oliver

At some point during mine and Elio’s little drinking session we ended up going back to his bedroom that was only five doors down from where we already were. We go stumbling and laughing our asses off at a story that I was telling about one of my old clients and Elio thought that was the funniest shit in the world that he almost shot wine out of his nose. 

I will admit that this is the first time I have ever lost myself in the fun of being with someone who was so like minded like me. who was so well spoken and actually took the time to listen to what was coming out of my mouth then, them saying… “yeah yeah yeah, get on with it! I don’t pay you to listen to your problems.” someone who actually liked the same music that I did and had one of the sassiest attitudes that would put a teenage girl to shame and who didn’t want to let go of my hand. Not that I minded of course I didn’t, I wanted to be touched as much as he did and I wanted him to be comfortable and happy. It was about what he wanted after all, so if holding my hand the entire night was what he wanted. Who was I to take that away from him or tell him he couldn't? He was also paying me ten thousand dollars to do this so I figured I would enjoy myself as well. 

He was jumping around his room blasting “Enjoy the Silence” by depeche mode but it is covered by a different band that I can not name at the moment. He has it at a loud volume to drown out the classical music downstairs. He holds an empty bottle of mauro pretending it was a microphone, his hair flopping around as he bobbed his head left and right, as he all out jammed to the song. Sometimes mouthing the words to the song, while other times he would actually sing and become dramatic in his facial expressions still dressed in his suit from earlier.

I somehow end up joining in on this little jamming session he’s got going on and we turn into a couple of drunk idiots, having the time of our lives. With me somehow dancing with Elio all around his room then he really gets going and hops up and down on his bed like a little kid and my laughter fills the room in no time at all. I am literally crying from this boy. His antics are hilarious and the more I watch him. 

At some point we end up crashing into each other and we both go down on the floor, both of us bursting into laughter tangled limbs as we sit together on the floor, catching our breaths.

“Oh shit! That was…” 

“Fun.” I finish for him and he smiles up at me. It isn't until he is really looking at me, that I notice how green his eyes are. 

They aren’t just an emerald type green or that standard green that people write about in stories or in fanfictions (Can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen or read that) they are a lovely hazel color that has hints of yellow in them when the light hits him just right. It is truly a sight to appreciate.

“Do you mind if I smoke in here?” I ask as I take him by the forearm curling my fingers around him and proceed to help him up on his feet, then gently release him. 

“Go ahead, my family are smokers so it won’t be a problem. I even smoke on occasion while I am here, they don’t have a problem with it. But Mafala doesn’t like the smell in the house so when you do make sure to crack the window.”

I go over to the window and push it up a little ways as Elio goes to turn the music down and shut the door. The look he gives me when he sees me pull out my little baggie of weed is priceless. Those gorgeous eyes widen in and his mouth falls open, his hands coming up into the air for a moment before he drops them to his sides. 

“Is that…” 

“Yup.” 

I say matter of factly letting the p pop at the end of the word, then sliding my tongue along the paper, closing it up after rolling it to perfection. I light the end of the blunt as Elio continues to watch me, his mouth going back into its proper place, I smirk and watch him walk over to me, in an almost trance-like state as I take that first inhale letting the smoke come out in a small stream of air.

I see him lick his lips wetting them just a little with his tongue as I blow the smoke out slowly, widen my mouth a little then inhale it back through my nose. “You wanna try?” I ask, holding the blunt between my index and middle fingers, he leans over and takes it from me, looking at it as if it were a foreign object for a second. 

“Hey,” he looks at me. “I am not going to make you do anything that you are not comfortable with okay? So if there is something that you don’t want to do then just say so. I won’t be offended or upset by you saying no. This is about you and what you want not me." 

He takes the blunt from me and puts it to his lips and breathes in and when he blows out he makes a large o with his mouth. I watch it go floating upwards and hang in the air for a second before it goes out the window. 

"So what made you want to move to Seattle?" He passes the blunt back to me, and I watch him sit down on the floor, resting his back against the bed, looking at me. His hands go to his lap, while his knees draw up to his chest, feet flat on the floor.

"Needed a change of scenery. I got tired of New York and the constant noise of the city that never sleeps, I thought they were kidding when I would hear that in movies all the time but it's no fucking joke man, you literally don't get any sleep and if you do your lucky. I moved to New York when I was 10 with my family before that I lived in Santa Monica for a good chunk of my childhood." 

"I heard Santa Monica is beautiful. I've never been myself but my parents went there on their anniversary when I was 17. They said I would like it because of all the beaches and the sea. My father was absolutely certain to go back there at some point but he got too busy with his work." 

"Oh man, you wanna talk about beautiful… where I lived my parents house was right off the beach. so every day I would wake up to the sounds of the ocean and at night you can see the moon clear as day. Ugh it was amazing. You should definitely go, you won't regret it." 

I flick some of the ashes off out the window before passing back to Elio who reaches for the blunt.   
"If you loved it so much why did you leave then?" 

He asks before raising the half smoked stick to his lips breathing in taking a few puffs before passing it back.

"Parents got divorced. Dad was having an affair with his intern at the office. On and off for eight years until I caught them in bed together and sang to my mother about it. I thought he was going to tear my head off then, he screamed at me and blamed me for their marriage falling apart. He smacked me in the mouth, after I popped off and made the comment that he shouldn't be sticking his cock in places it didn't belong, we got into a physical altercation and the cops had to be called because the neighbors couldn't mind their own business." 

His face falls and he stares down at his feet as he registers the information given to him. He takes another drag off then passes it back. 

"I'm… that's, it must have been difficult for you dealing with that. I'm sorry. I can't imagine my parents never being together, they look so happy… so… " 

"In love with each other." I give him a sad smile that doesn't reach my eyes, every kid in the world probably wishes that their family was something like the Perlmans. Kind, loving, supportive, proud but I guess some parents just aren’t that way. 

I thump the ashes once more before taking another hit. 

"Yeah, well… you are so lucky to have the parents you got. I have never met a more down to earth, caring and over loving family like yours. They definitely love you and care enough to want to see you happy. It seemed like anything I ever did was a disagreement or a disappointment to them. But what really did it for my father was when he caught me with a boy that I liked that lived a few houses down from us. We were making out underneath the porch in the sand and he came down the steps after hearing the noise and well I will spare you the gory details of what happened but be basically said that he wasn't going to have a son that was a "goddamn faggot who got off on kissing boys" and that “no cocksucker was going to live under his roof or he would put me in my place”if you catch my drift and he disowned me completely, hasn't spoken to me in twenty years. My mother calls every once in a while to see how I am but… just know you are one lucky kid." 

"That's awful. Well, I for one am glad you are here if it makes you feel a little better." 

He reaches for my hand and I silently take it pulling myself out of the damping feeling that is slowly coming over me as my father's words play in my head of that day. 

Our eyes lock on each other for a moment and I watch him, maul something over in his mind. I could see the gears turning in his head, he lets go of my hand and gets up off the floor. 

My eyes follow him and he stops at the radio and turns it up again. 

"What are you doing goofball?"

I ask with a questioning eyebrow as I watch his body move slowly swaying as he takes off his suit jacket and tosses it on his bed. 

"What? I'm just dancing what's wrong with that?" 

There is an inflection in his voice that makes the pitch go higher that sounds like he is laughing. 

"Nothing. There is nothing wrong with dancing. I just don't want you to hurt yourself, you've had how many bottles of wine tonight? "mr. Oliver is too drunk to leave my house. When I've had only six drinks." 

He giggles spinning around with his arms out for a moment then comes running over to me. He places his hands on my shoulders with a soft audible smack that jolts me a little and looks deep into my eyes. 

"I want…" my eyes flicker to his mouth then back up to those glassy eyes with mischievous intent, as he wets his lips again.

"You want what Elio? Use your words." I coo teasingly, touching his loosened tie that lays against his collar bones, rubbing the silk with my thumb, my eyes trained on his.

"I want you…” he swallows, obviously nervous. “ I want you to dance with me, like you did with Scarlet downstairs and you have to do it exactly like I saw you. Please," 

"Oh?" 

"You said anything I desired." He reminds me of our conversation moments before taking the last of the blunt from me putting it to his lips, spinning always from me. 

'This boy…'

"Alright, you wanna dance then we will dance." 

I stand up and unbutton my suit jacket, setting it off to the side on the chair next to the window and undo my tie completely pulling by the small end and toss it onto my jacket, then undo the buttons on my sleeves and roll them up.

***

Elio 

“What’s this one here.” I run my thumb over the skin of Oliver’s wrist watching the veins rise as my thumb passes over the tattoo on his right wrist and I feel the hair on his arms raise as goosebumps form. He kisses my hair and I sigh, I am high and drunk off my ass and in desperate need to touch and be touched. 

I was already half hard from our bodies brushing up against each other from dancing. Then again, I asked for it so it is my fault that my body has reacted to him this way. He is very attractive in more ways than just physically but right now, my mind can only think about having his hands on my body. 

We are laying on my bed with my head resting on his arm as his hand holds my hand in his loosely but not loose enough to let go. Every so often he will kiss the back of my hand and it sets my nerves on fire, it is a subtle move but I am enjoying it. 

“That is my family’s name in greek lettering. I got it after my grandfather died, about five years ago.” 

“It’s beautiful. Papa tried to teach me to speak greek once, but it was hard so he offered to teach me to read in greek instead.” I rub over the letters again, and I hear him make a soft noise that sounds like a moan of understanding.   
“Do you have any more?” I inquire with interest, my fingers moving back up to his hand, toying with the ring this time, it feels smooth to the touch and Oliver tilts his neck to the left, to reveal another tattoo that is of the treble and bass clef turned into a heart with a red rose going through it.

I saw this tattoo before on girls but never on a man until Oliver. “I love this one. Music is your first love too?” 

“Always. Music is a language that everyone can understand even if they don’t even speak it. For me, music is like well… this is going to sound cheesy as fuck but, when I listen to music it makes every shitty thing that has ever happened in my life go away. Just… not even exist.”

‘He thinks that is cheesy? That sounds fucking poetic compared to what some people say about music.’

“I don’t think that is cheesy at all. Music has literally been my friend my entire life when all my other friends seemed to not understand me. Music has been a way for me to speak my feelings when I can’t speak them verbally. So.. no I don’t think that is cheesy at all Oliver. I find it very.. Um, sweet.”

“What am I then? Am I not your friend, Elio.” I hear the mock hurt in his voice and I lightly hit him with my hand on the shoulder. 

“You know what I mean!” 

I roll over onto my back and reach out with my right hand, brushing my fingers ever so lightly over the rose. I hear Oliver inhale on a gasp, when my lips meet his skin. His heart is beating slightly faster in his chest, and it excites me to know that he is reacting to me.

He smells like aftershave, however, I can’t seem to place the brand of it. (Not that it matters he just smells really good.) 

When I pull away and lay back down, he looks at me almost mesmerized by what I had just done, and almost tentatively yet with purpose I watch him tilt his head in quiet observation. He shifts in position laying on his left side, his right hand lets go of mine and for a moment, I think he is going to leave me. He doesn’t.  
“Do you have any?”

“Tattoos? Oh no, papa and maman would freak the fuck out if they saw it. Not because they hate tattoos but, the fact that I am a famous musician with the reputation of a good wholesome professional.”

He slowly traces over my lips with the tips of his ring, middle and index fingers and as he does so I slowly open my mouth making my jaw go down and my tongue wants to feel the pads of his fingers. To know what his skin tastes like, to playfully bite him to see the kind of reaction I would get. but I don’t touch him, I just look at him with an innocent gaze that is slowly turning lustful. 

“Until he is filled with weed and booze, then the good and wholesome part slips away.” he teases me again as we have done to each other most of the night, the constant back and forth with us is a turn on for me. I love this game we are playing and I plan to keep it up just to see how long either one of us can last. 

I smirk. I let him play his fingers grazing over my bottom and top lip slowly dragging out my physical torment as my body reacts to his very light touch. My veins are starting to tingle. I want to touch him, to kiss him, to take his body and make it my own, I want to see all of him and do things with him that I have only dreamed about since the first night that I met him. 

The moment he turns my head I can’t stand it any longer and raise up on my knees, wrap my fingers around the open part of his shirt, slowly pulling him forward, I give him the sweetest of kitten licks, my tongue barely brushing his top lip and I see a smile spread across his lovely features. 

“Is.. is this okay?” I whisper a mere inch from his mouth and he doesn’t answer me, he places his hand on the side of my neck and guides me forward, until I share my first open mouthed kiss with him. His lips are soft in pressure, his thumb gently sweeps over my jawline, his fingers pressing slightly into the back of my neck holding me in place. 

Suddenly he pulls back slowly and lays back on his back, his hand finds mine as he closes his eyes for a moment. A blissed out look comes over his face and I can’t help the giggle that escapes my mouth as I lay down next to him.

“I have been wanting to do that all fucking night.” he confesses. 

“Then why didn’t you?” 

“I had to play the good host..” he deadpans, turning his head to look at me, I look back at him under my eyelashes. 

“May I kiss you again.” I say bravely I meant for it to come out as a question but he took it as a demand and those blue orbs darken. 

“If you have to ask.. Elio then, I must have not made myself clear the first time.” 

I blink in confusion at what he is trying to say, did I get the signals wrong? He didn’t like it! Oh god!!! 

He brushes his nose against mine and I blush I don’t even try to hide it anymore, Oliver knows that I like him. Well, if he didn’t know when i first met him he does now! This crush has lasted a whole entire month, and here I am with him in my bed, in my parents house, wanting to make out with him.

“I like kissing you.”

“Well then, it's a good thing I like you kissing me then huh?” his voice is sarcastic and yet light hearted and he wiggles his eyebrows at me smiling and makes a kissing face, his lips puckering up, I pounce on him then, and he rolls us over pinning me beneath him. Then his mouth is on mine again.

To be continued.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All of the smuts shall be in the next part I wanted to put it here but, it was getting way too long in page number XD so… fair warning everyone put the children to bed and wear headphones shit is about to go down! X3


	15. Enjoy The Silence Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “This Will Never End Cuz I want More, More Give me More, give me more!”- (If I had a heart” by Karilene)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now my dear readers it is smut time this makes me nervous as hell right now, why? this is the first time that will be showing my skills as a writer when it comes to sex scenes. No this isn't my first sex scene that I have written however, when it comes to showing others who are not my muse... yes this would be the first time you guys get to see this. XD 
> 
> This chapter is rated R because sex. so put the children to bed, toss some headphones on and get ready for the madness that is my mind. Also please be aware that I have the upmost respect for people within the kink community and this is in no way bashing anyone who is into breath play or bdsm in general. when I wrote this I was debating on putting that part in there for the longest time I even thought about taking it out, but then I was like no you know what... this is important and needs to be told. Consent is always important period. so I left it in here. 
> 
> The summary comes from the very title of the song that also inspired my title for this fanfic! ^_^ however, I do not own the song or the lyrics obviously all credit goes to Karilene.

1:55 am: Elio’s room

Oliver

I don’t know if it was the wine, the weed, Elio himself or the fact that fucking depeche mode was on the radio as we made out with each other. But I swear to god out of all the clients and people that I have slept with in all my life, I have never had someone be as romantic as Elio is nor as self conscious with their body as him. 

“Where are you going?” he murmurs with panting breaths, his hair slightly disheveled from me playing with it, as he sits up on the bed about to come after me, nervous. 

“I’m going to lock the door, you don’t want your parents coming in here or some poor dude trying to look for the bathroom and mistake it for this one do you? Stay. put. I’m not leaving this room.”

‘I want this just as badly as you do trust me, and I’m not about to let anyone ruin this for either of us.’

Once I hear that click of the lock and have checked it twice just to be sure, I make my way back over to Elio who is now sitting up on the edge of the bed. His head down, his hands in his lap fiddling with his fingers, while his leg shakes, foot tapping against the floor.

“Elio, you alright?” I sit down next to him on the bed. “We don’t have to do this you know, we can go back to just kissing if you want.” 

“No! I… I want to, it's just… I’m nervous.” he stares at a particular spot on the wall and I quietly take his hand into my own and rub the back slowly in a soothing gesture. Snapping him out of his trance, he looks at me with worried eyes, and I give him a soft smile. 

“It’s okay to be nervous when it’s your first time, I was.” 

“It isn’t my first time Oliver. I've had multiple partners in college and some here and there but I haven’t…”   
he trails off looking down at the floor and I squeeze his hand to make him look at me again, then his head falls on my shoulder in a frustrated sigh. He opens his mouth like he wants to say something but shuts it soon after, as if thinking better of it or if he had forgotten it completely.

“When was the last time you had sex with a man Elio?” 

“It was a few months back when I stopped in New York to do a show before I came to see my parents, when Marzia and I were having issues and the person that I did it with was very rough with me. I went into the situation thinking that it was going to be good, just a casual hookup. That- the person was going to be easy with me, but it turned out the guy wanted a bdsm relationship? Encounter? Whatever you want to call it and was wanting me to be his submissive. I had only read about that subject a few times out of curiosity but was never interested in something like that. So I refused and he did it anyway, he tried to force himself on me and…”

He takes a breath and lets it out slowly, squeezing my hand. “Elio you don’t have to tell me anymore if you don’t-” he cuts me off with his other hand silencing me.

“When I tried to leave he grabbed me and drug me into the bathroom, I screamed for help as loud as I could, praying that someone would hear me. He slammed me up against the bathtub wall really hard to the point of knocking the wind out of me and then… he proceeded to drown me while the water was running. He only let me up for air a few times and he would scream at me that I was too skinny to be loved and that I should have eaten more, that no one would care if I lived or died. But as you can see… I’m alive and well so I got away. It wasn't easy though, I ended up jumping out of the window when he wasn’t there, and I ran away. I ran to my apartment and I didn’t call the cops because I didn’t want to expose myself or my name, for my parents to find out about what happened and never let me out on my own again. I haven’t had sex with a man since, it’s always been just girls from here on out well, until…. You.”

‘Jesus!’

I take in Elio’s words carefully and weigh the situation presented to me very carefully as well as my words. I let go of his hand and stood up from the bed, I kneel down in between his legs on the floor, making myself as small as possible and look up at him in empathy. My voice is soft and understanding.

“Elio I want you to listen to me very carefully okay? And I want you to look at me, please when I say this.” I rest my hands on the bed on either side of his thighs not touching him. 

When his eyes are on mine. “I would never ever ever touch you without your permission first, regardless of what you are into. Okay, that is why I said anything you desire or want because it isn’t about my pleasure or what I enjoy. It is about the other person and what they want, from me. Now, I have dealt with and dabbled in kink before, it is a part of my job to be flexible like that based on who the client is. However, with you I will never go into that side with you. Unless, that is something you want and are comfortable with.”

“I’m sorry I got all deep on you it’s just I needed to tell someone. Not even my parents know that I’m too scared to tell them and I wasn’t even in Seattle when it happened. It happened when I was on tour and I went out to a bar, simply looking for a random hook up.”

“Marzia?” 

“My ex girlfriend.”

“You don’t need to be sorry for something like this. Don’t ever be sorry for telling someone that you got taken advantage of when you said no. Elio, that man was in the wrong, very wrong and If I would have been there... I would have beat the shit out of him myself.”

‘Did I really say I would beat a stranger for this boy? What the hell am I talking about?’

I take a soft breath, then think about what I am going to say next.

“I’m glad you told me, but it’s as I have said... if you change your mind or if you want to stop and do something else then, I am down for whatever you want. Now, what is it that you want to do?”

“Could we start with kissing again and maybe go from there?” 

“You just want an excuse to kiss me again, don’t you Perlman.” I smile up at him and he turns beet red and tries to hide from me in his shirt. 

“Oh shut up and kiss me already, you prostitute.” He mumbles, sticking his tongue out at me, giggling when he sees the the expression on my face, my eyes dancing with so much mirth, they would be fucking swimming in it.   
Slowly I stand up and bend over, hovering above him, my lips brushing lightly against his before finally settling there. I kiss him softly, at first then pull back, standing up again he sits up and starts taking off his clothes, then stops suddenly as I take off mine. 

“Oliver, can we do it with the lights off?” his voice sounds slightly foreign to my ears, maybe it’s his tone and the way he says the question. 

“What’s wrong with keeping the lights on? No one is going to see us Elio, the curtain is hiding the window and we are three stories up. I don’t think anyone is going to try and be a peeping tom, and I also locked the door.”

“No. Oliver, it’s not that I am scared of the dark, or afraid of peeping toms or anything silly like that. I’m… I don’t like how my body looks okay. Can we just… please? I’m really skinny and just don’t like how it looks.” 

‘Hate his body…. Why would he?’

“I want to be able to see you.” I confess. “I want to be able to see you so I get to know your body as you get to know mine. I wanna know what you like and what you don’t, what turns you on Elio, what makes you tick. That is why I want to be able to see you.”

He sighs. “Can you just turn off the lights please. You can get to know someone just as well in the dark as you can the light.” he counters softly. 

I nod my head not saying another word, I go over to the lamp and turn the knob with a click. The lights go out and we are shrouded in the light of the moon outside. It takes a minute for my eyes to adjust but when Elio comes into focus, I almost forget to breathe, he is standing there in his boxers with his arms folded under his armpits, hugging himself, trying to hide himself. 

I take a step towards him slowly not touching him, just looking at his eyes. “Can I touch you?” he nods his head at me and I take ahold of his wrists and move his arms out of the way.

I hold his hands out away from his body just holding them in my own hands, my eyes take in the very sight of his porcelain skin, his collar bones that jut out just a little, his chest, to his long arms, to his soft slightly toned stomach, the small line of hair that goes down past his navel. His soft lips slightly puffy from being kissed.  
There were no words that I could say to describe just how attractive he is. I just… I can’t.

“Remember we can stop anytime.” 

He slides his hands from my hands up to my forearms and back down taking a step closer, his fingers lightly scratch up and down. Sending goosebumps over my skin and I shutter lightly from the tickling sensation it gives me, I smile.

He tilts his head up and kisses my jaw, testing the waters at first, as I pull him even closer, my arms slide through his fingers and I wrap him tightly in a hug, pressing my lips to his in a chaste kiss. It slowly turns into a heated one as we go backwards towards the bed and I turn us so that I hit back first. 

His fingers trace along my face, from my temple to my jaw, his delicate fingers brushing over the beginnings of my shadow that hasn’t quite yet, turned into a fully fledged beard. 

“I like this.” he comments against my mouth as my hands roam over his back and up again, letting him enjoy himself. 

“Yeah? Only a few people like it in my circle. It doesn't always stay but come November I grow it out and it stays for a good long while.” 

He takes his hand away and lays his cheek against my cheek, nuzzling me, I let my fingers play with his hair. Stroking, running my fingers through it, gently gripping it in a fist then letting go. 

Things are slow going at first with lazy kisses and subtle touches which is fine with me. I want him to be comfortable and safe with me, after what he told me I don't want to do anything that would jeopardize this moment for him.

When he feels brave enough his lips move again down to my throat, and over my adam's apple, my head tilts back, breathing in when I feel his tongue and mouth move down to the left side of my neck, sucking lightly at first. 

I let my right hand rest at the back of his head and caress down his neck, I feel him shiver against me, his teeth lightly bite down on my shoulder.

When his mouth reaches my chest, I start to feel my heart beat faster as he breathes against one of my nipples and wraps his lips around it. His eyes glance up at me briefly and I moan approvingly when he begins to suck, moving his tongue over it until it hardens.

The alternation of his mouth is highly maddening and his little enthusiastic moans make things even worse. 

I pull him up gently and take his face in my hands, press my mouth to his and kiss him until his lips are red, swollen, my tongue sliding along his lightly teasing the sweetest of whimpers out of him that just turns me on further. 

"You must really like kissing huh? I haven't even done much to you yet and you're already getting harder on me."

"Only you." He tangles his fingers in my hair, pulling my mouth back to his kissing me once more. I roll us over and begin reciprocating what he had done to me in a very teasing manner. 

I slide down, letting my fingers drag just underneath his armpits and down his ribs, he giggles and squirms as he softly cards his fingers through my hair, and down to my nape. The sensation of his fingers sends a tingle through my spine, I want him to touch me more like this.

He kisses the top of my head and I look up at him, with desire in my eyes, he looks down at me and watches me with an expression that looks like he is in a daze. Eyes in awe, mouth a cherry red, swollen and wet he looks completely stunning. 

I breathe against his skin as I press my lips into his stomach, his moans fill my ears as I caress every soft, divine curve of his body, every freckle I mark with my kiss as I reach up sweeping my thumbs over his hip bones. His moans turn into a soft whine of pleasure and his legs wrap around my torso, the hair on them tickles me a little as he reaches for me, pulling me back up towards his face. 

“Yes Elio?” 

“I want you to suck me off, please Oliver." 

I chuckle nipping lightly at his chin.”Quite the bossy pants tonight aren’t you?” I see him flush pink and watch as it goes down’t his neck to his chest and I feel him twitch against my thigh. “I was planning on it before you interrupted me.” I say in a soft lightly teasing tone. 

“I said please.” His voice is quiet, almost inaudible, and I can’t stop the amused smile that tugs at the corners of my lips.

“Well since you said please, I guess I could help you out.” He snorts and rolls his eyes at my teasing nature and leans forward, biting my bottom lip in an attempt at what I assume, is retaliation. He makes a soft growl in his throat and we both burst into laughter. 

“You have condoms?” 

He sits up and leans over the side of the bed, I hear the sound of a drawer opening and he digs around for a second then slaps the packaging in my hand, and a bottle of lube. He gives me a sweet smile and I shake my head, watching him lay back against the pillows like a fucking prince, that smug grin, that wild hair pressed against the pillow, his right hand raised over his head, while his left, lazily stroking himself in front of me.

‘Smug little bastard so fucking cute. Staying is the best decision that I have ever made of my night that’s for sure.’

I tear open the condom and as his hand moves down, I chase it, rolling the condom onto him, pouring the lube in my hand and wrap my hand around his cock and give him a squeeze, he groans my name, when I stroke him slowly, rubbing my thumb underneath his shaft, moving up pressing down on the tip of the head with my thumb, nuzzling his pubic hair with my nose, my tongue streaking upwards towards his balls pulling one into my mouth then the other sucking gently at first then harder making him cry out.

Elio’s hips arch towards me, his mouth opening as I release him, licking my lips, then opening up and sliding down a little at a time. I feel his hand touch my head, and his legs moving along my back then drop away completely planting his feet on the bed.   
‘Thank you cherry flavored lube! I fucking hate the taste of condoms’ 

I feel his fingers tighten around the strands of my hair and a whimpering groan comes out of my mouth, onto his skin causing a vibration and I hear him gasp out a word in french. 

I let him go with a pop and look at him with concern. “You okay? You want me to stop?” 

“I’m fine. You can keep going.” he pants, “Wait! I’m not hurting you am I?” it takes me a second to realize he is talking about my hair and his tugging on it. 

“Nah, go ahead, just pull it.” I’m surprised by how my voice sounds, it doesn’t even sound like me, so nonchalant yet, growly and raspy. “It doesn’t hurt as bad as you think. Feels good actually.”

I sink back down and move my head faster by that point, I have him moaning again and cursing in french, bringing me further down, he bumps the back of my throat gently and I breath slowly pulling back. So I don’t choke while Elio’s hips are moving to the rhythm of my head, I feel him tug again then he twitches in my mouth and his entire body shudders, my mouth goes back up.

My thumb presses into the very base of him, I can already see the white liquid, dripping down into the condom. I want to taste him, to feel his flesh in my mouth and against my tongue but can’t, it’s not safe for either of us given my profession. I always get tested regularly. Thankfully I did a few days ago and it came back negative but it is always better to be safe about these things than to risk your partner’s health.

Elio

This is maddening even with a condom on me I can still feel the heat radiating off of his hand and mouth, the wet sticky feeling of some of my come dripping out. My hands tighten around my sheets and I hit my head against the pillow when he eases up on his grip before tightening it again. I bite my lip and look at him almost begging him to release me. 

I want more, I need more if anything else should come of this already amazing night please let me feel him inside of me. 

He seemed to have read my mind somehow or maybe it was my expression because what happens next surprises me. He grabs the tip of the condom and slowly begins to pull it off of me, while still squeezing me making my body tremble. 

“L… leave it off. please Oliver I like it this way, I like the way your hand feels on me. “

He leans forward and presses his lips to my forehead. “I have never heard of someone giving a handjob before with a condom on Elio that’s kinda weird. Unless the person is a germaphobe but I had no intention of putting another one you unless we are going further than that.”

I nod and I watch him tie the first condom off and toss it into the trash can, I hear a loud wet smacking sound and I jump. Then I realize that it was the condom hitting the sheets of transcribing paper that I had thrown away hours upon hours earlier before the party even started. (all of my fuck ups) 

“Put your hand back where it’s supposed to be please!” 

My heated skin becomes covered in goosebumps when his freshly lubed hand grips me again, and he leans into me, strokes me slowly and deliberately rubs his thumb over my slit, pressing gently into it. I feel his breath in my ear as he whispers, “better now?” I shudder and rock into his hand wanting him to move faster but, he won’t. 

I want to speak to him. I want to scream, yell anything but what comes out of my mouth is a mixture between a wet groan and the word ah that pretty much dies in the very air, that I am trying to pull back into my lungs. As my chest touches his with every single breath, I touch his face and he closes his eyes.

It surprises me that we are even here that this is happening as many times as I have played this moment in my head. I have never imagined that something like this would happen to me. It is very overwhelming the sensations that are starting in my stomach, and blasting out through my veins flooding my body with such lust.

I push at his chest with my hands, he easily falls over onto his back letting me go. I slide my fingers down his chest, into the hair that is there playing with it a little before going over his arms and down to his hands. When he looks at me I can no longer see the blue of his eye but the black part is slightly bigger, and his hands begin to roam over my skin again. 

“Are you sure you want to do this?” he asks me when I take his hands and place them down below my lower back, pushing my ass back into his palms. The very idea of having him inside of me not only scares me a little but it also excites me to my very core. I want this. 

“If I wanna stop Oliver, I promise, I will tell you.” 

I give Oliver a reassuring smile, move back and forth slowly wiggling my hips, my palms move over his chest and he lets out a shallow breath. 

"Elio…" his soft controlled tone becomes whimpering and vulnerable as I keep my hips moving. I retrieve the bottle of lube that got lost somewhere between the sheets and hand it to him.

He pours some on his fingers and hands it back to me, I set it on the table and the next thing I know, there is a cold sensation against my nerves then pressure causing me to tense up. Shutting my eyes I try to control my breathing, breathing through my nose and exhaling through my mouth.

'breath Elio feel your lungs expand' 

I think to myself and within a few minutes of me breathing I feel the very tip of his finger press against me and begin to move slowly stretching and rubbing me open. 

One finger, two, three all moving inside of me, filling me up and making my very blood sing and having Oliver watch me with such tenderness, as if I am the only person on earth the entire time is one of the sexiest things I've ever seen. 

"baise tes doigts me sens si bien à l'intérieur de moi"

I whisper into his ear as I let my mouth press just underneath his ear. I hear his beautiful voice say my name on a shuttered breath and his moans are low. 

When I squeeze around his fingers he lets out a breathy laugh and what I don't expect is for him to answer me back.

"I like having my fingers inside of you, making you say such naughty things to me. Such a dirty boy with a beautiful mother tongue. So hot Elio.”

I want him to see how good he makes me feel, how happy it makes me to know that he can understand me.

I can't tell you how many times, I was chastised by partners who could only speak english when we were together. It always made me feel bad in the end, that when I would even try to teach a new partner french or italian… they would scoff at me and comment, 

'You need to speak english Elio, this is America or I can't understand a goddamn word you're saying." 

So when Oliver says, "say something else?" You bet your ass I'm going to take full advantage of my trilingual skills. 

I let my hand slide down his stomach and I brush his entire length with the palm of my hand. Up and down petting him, I kiss his cheek moaning deeply when he touches the right spot for the second time with his fingers.

"les doigts sont gentils mais c'est ta bite que je veux. tu me le donneras Oliver?" 

His hips rock into my hand with the movement of my own body, he turns his head, smirking at me and before I know it I’m on my back, the feeling of something missing comes over me.. Staring up into his dark eyes I want to keep him with me, like this I want to keep this look in my memory for many years to come. I may only have him for the night, but this expression will stay with me forever. The passion that is in his features stirs my desire more.

He lets me put the next condom on him and when he finally enters me, we both sigh together as I pull him closer to me. I rest my forehead against his, letting his sweat and mine mix together, staying like that in a passionate stare down, breathing each other’s air. 

“You okay?” his knuckles feel good against my cheek, he stays completely still patiently waiting as my body accommodates to the feeling of being invaded. After not doing this, having someone fuck me I am lucky I didn’t cum right then and there. 

“Mm. mhm.” I stroke my right hand down his back, slowly and I wince a tear rolls down my cheek. 

He blinks at me, his face turning to concern as he searches my eyes for any sort of indication that I want to stop. “Elio, do you want to stop? If it’s too much we can stop now.” he wipes my tear away with his thumb. 

“No I’m okay, i’m okay.”

“You sure?” 

“Yes.” I kiss the end of his nose and he gives me a small affectionate smile in return. “Okay.”

When he begins to move I wrap my arms around his back, my hands lock together and my feet rest at his lower back. I push my tongue into his mouth and moan his name, when his body collides with my own, his thrusts deep and slow I can feel him push against my spot each time he passes. 

I hear him gasp and breath the word “shit” and his eyes light up, I bite my lip to stifle my giggles at the thought in my head, and I move my hand into his hair, pulling his head down, I lean up and whisper into his ear.

“Come ci si sente Oliver ... come si sente il mio stretto buco del culo?” I lightly tug on the back of his hair, he leans down and licks the side of my neck causing me to squeeze around him tightly, I hear an intake of breath and he nips at my skin as my hips meet him thrust for thrust.

“You feel… oh, so fucking good.” I can hear his smile in his voice and it encourages me to move my hips faster when I do Oliver’s breathing becomes fast and shallow. I tighten around him again and let go, I enjoy watching all the pleasure and ecstasy come over his face, I love doing this to him. 

“Fuck me faster baby,” his voice is starting to become light in pitch, it comes out as a whimper. “Fuck me faster, Elio. please, I want it.” the last part of what he says comes out through his teeth in a growl and that is all I need to push him further. 

I feel my stomach tighten with each motion of my hips and I am so close to exploding. “vieni per me Oliver, vieni dentro di me.”

That was all it took those little words and one of the most passionate kisses I have ever given to another human being in my life. I don’t think I ever even kissed my ex the way that I kiss this man and when both of our worlds come apart and practically fall off their axis all I can think is. 

“More give me more give me more.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is what Elio was saying to Oliver now please remember I do not speak any other languages even though I am half hispanic. XD so google translate was used so if you are a native speaker of italian and french please don’t kill me! If the translations are messed up and feel free to correct. 
> 
> Italian: “Come ci si quello sente Oliver ... come si sente il mio stretto buco del culo?” - "How does that feel Oliver ... how does my tight asshole feel?" 
> 
> "les doigts sont gentils mais c'est ta bite que je veux. tu me le donneras Oliver?" - “fingers are nice but it's your dick I want. Will you give it to me Oliver?”
> 
> “Baise tes doigts me sens si bien a l’iterieur de moi”- “fuck your fingers feel so good inside of me.”
> 
> “vieni per me Oliver, vieni dentro di me.”- “come for me Oliver, come inside me.”
> 
> Well how did I do guys? is it worthy enough to join the other fanfic writers and their amazing smutness? XD


	16. Policy Of Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You had something to hide Should have hidden it, shouldn't you Now you're not satisfied With what you're being put through.”- (Policy Of Truth by Depeche Mode)
> 
> Shit hits the fan and chaos ensues! but before this there is the fluffiness between Elio and Oliver <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Trigger Warning* 
> 
> Character death and blood lots of blood! tread lightly and if you are triggered by this don't read this chapter please. be safe and take care of yourselves. 
> 
> title comes from the summary above. I thought the song fit perfectly with the situation at hand so.. That being said lets get into it! The rating of this will possibly change throughout, if you have stuck with it so far thanks! Things are about to get crazy!

1:55-2:45 am: Elio’s bedroom, Same night 

Oliver 

I have never actually stayed with someone and watched them sleep before, hell, I don’t think I’ve stayed longer than an hour at a client’s house before. So to be laying here next to Elio and watching him, peacefully sleeping is something not only strange to me, but it is also way against the rules. 

See as an escort we have very strict rules that we have to obey or we lose whatever we get for the night, money wise from the client. 

So… rule one: Never sleep over at a client’s house unless they are willing to pay extra for it. Why? The boss doesn’t want us getting attached to a certain client because it brings about jealousy and can get dangerous when put in certain situations. Like a jealous ex husband, cheating wife, disgruntled ex boyfriend who just got out of the pin things like that. So… if you sleep over then there better be some big numbers involved.

Rule two: No drinking while on the job unless the client offers first, the boss doesn't like having escorts drunk driving, god knows there have been too many people die from it and I am not stupid enough to chance it. 

Rule 3: Keep the client satisfied and keep them safe. That one is pretty much self explanatory. 

I have managed to break rule 1 and 2 on the same night. All because of this boy laying next to me right now, but I will say this… for ten thousand dollars breaking those two rules, was/is fucking worth it. 

Why? Is it worth it? 

He has managed to do the one thing that no other person who I have ever had the contact with does. Be honest. Ever since I became an escort I have dealt with nothing but liars, cheats and people who won’t pay up when the time comes for it. Even when I bust my ass and do everything as they ask for and want, they still manage to come up short with me in one way or another then the boss hears about it and I get my ass chewed out. 

Tonight was the most incredible night of my 32 years of living up until 2 seconds ago that is. Now I am faced with a choice, I can either… 1) stay with Elio until the sun comes up or 2) I leave the house and never look back, and possibly never see this charming boy again. 

But if I move then Elio will wake up since he is sleeping on my left arm, my hand rests on his chest while my fingers very lightly caress his sternum, raking upwards. Obliviously lost in my thoughts, of what to do while his left hand is bent, his fingers touch the arm that is circled loosely around his neck as his head is turned towards me, I can feel his very breath hitting the side of my neck. It’s warm and even, I can feel his chest rising to meet my palm every time he breathes. 

Both of us still naked from having sex only a few minutes ago? Or has it been hours i don’t know… I lost track of time. 

‘Go’

Elio begins to stir at some point during my thought dilemma, his head moves back and forth similar to the way my hand is on his chest. He gave a sigh for a second, I thought he was going to wake up but he didn't. I continue to trace over his smooth skin, taking in the features of his jaw, and lips, my eyes drifting to his chest where my hand rests, to my fingers. 

‘Stay” 

He moves his head again this time it turns to the left and the hand that is on my arm bends and Elio rubs his eyes with his index and thumb. No doubt brushing the sleep out of his eyes as my hand drifts upwards and across his chest. 

‘Go’

I watch his head turn slowly, his mind trying to register what is going on, then as I let my fingers sweep over and flatten my palm against his chest once again, that is when I am met with those breath stealing eyes of his when his head snaps softly in my direction. 

‘My god this man is beautiful it’s insane! He has the softness of a woman, but he is also logical like a man thinks. The androgyny of it is baffling to me! He can cuss like a sailor yet, he speaks so elegantly and about things that not even I knew at 17 years old or even 24! I could care less what gender he is. He is fucking attractive how on earth does he not have someone chasing after him! More importantly why in the world would his ex let him go!’

I give him a soft smile. 

He turns his head from me for a moment staring out at his window. “What time is it?”

It is still dark outside and the house is no longer filled with laughter, music or the professors endless banter about politics or stories, the radio that was on for most of the night is still going but it plays one of those late night hosting shows. The woman’s voice can be heard, her soft melodic yet seductive cadence, subtly fills the room but it's not her I want to pay attention to.

“It’s almost two in the morning.” I slowly get up from the bed and begin searching for my boxers when I hear him Groan softly and something about the way he looks at me makes me feel off. 

“Thank you for tonight Oliver, I… um, had a lot of fun. The money I owe you is there on my dresser, to your right of the radio.” 

“I had a lot of fun with you too. You are quite the musician and one hell of a kisser Elio Perlman, don’t sell yourself too short. I’m sure that you will find someone who deserves your love and by the way, you are one heck of a dancer, maybe next time you can show me a few more of your moves?” 

I went about putting on my clothes again, I was just about to button the last three buttons of my shirt and slip into my shoes when I hear his shy voice, say…

“Oliver…” the way he says my name this time, gently messes with my resolve, I have to leave and get out of here before anyone else wakes up. I have to get back to work and I haven’t even taken a shower yet. 

“Mm?”

“Would you stay with me just a little longer? I could pay you however much it would be for you to sleep with me.” 

‘Damn he wants to go again?’

I turn to him and jokingly I say, “Oh so you wanna go another round with me? What are you a closeted boxer who can’t stand to go just one round and call it good.” 

He chuckles. “No I uh, that’s not… I don’t mean sleep with me as in sex Oliver. I mean I… I would very much like to-” he shakes his head, “no nevermind it’s stupid, you’ll think it’s stupid.” 

I walk over to him and sit down on the edge of the bed and look at him, again a little bit of my resolve breaking when I see that his eyes are slightly shiny in the moonlight. I think he is about to cry and then I realize that it is just the reflection from the window, and the moon coming through it. I can see the moon in his eyes and it is the trippiest thing I have ever seen.

“Elio after the night I have had with you… there is nothing in this world that you could say, that would make me think it was stupid or otherwise. Now what is it?” 

“Will you snuggle with me? Or is that something you don’t do after sex? Or are you smoking a cigarette afterwards and just leaving kinda guy?” 

He looks slightly hurt when he asks this question and I can hear my boss’s voice rumbling in the very back of my mind. 

‘Always appear to be available but never be available.’ 

In other words you can flaunt your shit and make people desire you but in reality, you are not available for them to own for themselves not like property but no boyfriends, no girlfriends and no attachments. Like the saying goes “why buy just a carton when you can have the whole cow. Is that how it goes?”Well, I unfortunately was the cow and what Elio is asking for is something that I have gone back and forth with my whole life. 

Snuggling is a very intimate thing to do with someone whether they are just a friend or not. 

“If you don’t want to or if you have to go then please, go I don’t want to get you into any trouble!” He says the last part hurriedly nearly stumbles over his words and my heart skips a beat, he is more worried about me getting in trouble than he is about sleeping a full eight hours. 

‘Go! You have to go back or the boss will have your ass on his wall for the next few years! You have already broken two of the rules and you still don’t know what in the hell Scarlet is going to do to you for ditching her!’

My body had no intention of listening to my brain as much as I should have, I was tired and with the way he was giving me those puppy dog like eyes. I couldn’t do it, my resolve broke. 

“If I snuggle with you…” I began turning his head to look at me. “You will go to sleep.” I was silently hoping that if he went to sleep that I would be able to sneak out and not disturb him, kill two birds with one stone type of deal. 

He smiles when I touch his lips. “Yes, I promise. I will go to sleep.” he murmurs to me and I can tell there is a hint of vexatiousness in his eyes and the way that he smiles innocent, yet naughty at the same time. I don’t trust it. 

“Good.” I get up and quickly remove my clothes again, until I am down to my boxers and pull back the covers that we were laying on. Just when I am about to climb in and lay down, the little shit pounces and knocks me clean over, his skinny body landing on top of mine. 

I start laughing when he kisses my face. “Elio quit! You are supposed to be going to sleep!” I grab both of his wrists and use most of my body weight to subdue him, underneath me, he just grins up at me all proud of himself. 

“Yes, you’re very cute, now go to sleep.” I roll my eyes and poke him lightly in his ticklish spot, I had managed to find earlier and he squirms. “Go get under the covers, and go to bed.” I say easing off of him, sitting on my knees.

“Kiss me goodnight first?” 

“Elio… no.” I say with an exasperated sigh hoping that he will leave it at that but then again, I know his type comes off as a spoiled brat and will pout his way into getting anything he wants and it doesn’t matter the age of the person either.

In 

3..  
2…  
1..

And… 

I watch his mouth set into a grim line and he crosses his arms over his chest. “Why not?”

‘Oh this is too adorable…’

“Eilo if I kiss you, you are going to want another one, and then that one will lead into another one and then we will end up having sex again and then you will be in the hole and I will be in deep shit. Okay, so don’t test me and you are also naked so that pretty much doesn’t help the situation.”

He smirks. “And what’s wrong with that?”

I rub my hand over my face and give him a look that says, “are you serious?” and my shoulders shake with laughter shaking my head, I fall forward, slamming my hands down in a dramatic fashion, on either side of Elio’s curls causing him to giggle, and he looks up at me in anticipation, his eyes move from my eyes to my mouth I exhale and my face goes blank. 

I give him an eskimo kiss. “Now go to sleep.” I move to the side and get under the covers and pull the duvet up to my belly button and smirk when he glares at me.  
“What?!”

“Oliverrrrrr!” he whines. “What was that?! 

“It’s a kiss. What did you expect? You asked and I gave you one.” I say shrugging, feeling pretty smug myself in this moment, I put my arms behind my head.  
“Well I know that! I’m not stupid!”

“Shhh! Don’t wake your parents up!” I giggle. “C’mere.” The moment he is within distance of me, I pull him closer to me, touching his face first I press my lips to his lips and breath in, when his mouth opens mine follows his movements. Until our lips are in a slow sensual dance, I go from touching his face to sliding my hands down lightly massaging the back of his neck, to wrapping him up in a full body hug. Sinking down under the covers taking him with me until he is fully laying down, that's when I break away. 

I place his head on my chest and keep him in our tight hug, with his arms underneath my shoulders. I hear his breathing slow and his body go slack, he sighs contently. I soon end up falling into a deep sleep myself. 

2:45 Am

Oliver 

When I wake up again it is by a loud crashing sound and I could hear Sammy’s voice cry out. “Get out of my house! And what do you want?!!!!!!” His voice sounded distressed and scared, then I heard more crashing, as quietly and as quickly as I could manage I got out of bed, throwing my clothes on. 

I look down at the sleeping boy who is curled into the fetal position, amazed by the fact that the noise hadn’t woken him up. 

I make my way out of the bedroom and go down the stairs nearly tripping down them, as I hear more yelling, I see Annella come out of the bedroom and I hold my hand up for her to stay. She looks at me terrified, I motion for her to stay put and continue downstairs careful not to cause attention to myself in the dark. 

I follow the noise to find that it is coming from the kitchen, I can hear the sound of pots rattling, and things breaking, when I round the corner I see five people in masks cloaked in black and Samuel fighting with them. Without a second of hesitation I move and full on tackle one of the intruders to the floor and notice that the one I had hit was armed with a knife. 

I watch the knife slide across the kitchen floor and I scramble for it just as another decides to hit me in the back. The rest of them begin to swarm me and Samuel, who was out of breath from putting up a fight, somehow comes to help me. 

He grabs a pot from over head and begins to swing violently back and forth smacking one the guys in the head with it, who was about to hit me again with his fist. I kick another one in the stomach when he is within reach and Samuel grabs my hand and helps me to my feet. 

“Are you okay?” 

“I will be fine.” he reassures me for a moment, then I hear him call my name.

I spin around and within seconds the gun is pointed straight at my chest and the guy gives a smirk, as if to say, “yeah that’s right you loose.” I keep my hands up in a defense position of don’t shoot and when I hear the gun being cocked, I react as fast as I can and grab the guys wrist with my hands, jerking upwards, I smack him directly in the throat with my hand, with my thumb and index finger in an L shape and I hear the gun go off. 

The moment my hand connects with his throat the figure stumbles backwards gasping for air and drops the gun to the floor. 

Samuel and I defend the house to the best of our ability making sure that none of the others can get out of that kitchen. It seems like hours before things begin to slow down and it is when I am dealing with another one of the intruders that I hear a loud gasping sound and when I turn around, Samuel has his hands around his throat and his body begins to fall forward. 

My eyes widen with horror as I see blood seeping through his fingers, and one of the masked people shove him towards me, when I catch him, the others scramble to get away, and I hold onto Samuel’s body. Being careful but quickly I go down with him into the floor and his eyes are pleading for me to help him, his eyes are filling with tears, he smells of whiskey and sweat. 

“Oh god! Fuck! No no no no no! Sammy…. Samuel look at me, you’re gonna be okay. Alright, I’m going to help you.” I hear myself say but my heart is pounding in my ribcage, as I keep one of my hands on his throat, my shaky fingers of my other hand fish out my cell phone and try to dial 911. 

“911 what is your location and what is your emergency?” I hear a woman say on the other end of the line and I keep my eyes on Sammy the entire time. 

I recite the location and tell the woman what happened and my voice is breaking. “M… my friend’s throat was slashed he needs help could you send the ambulance please! Shit! Sammy hold on man! Look lady, I don’t know how long he has but you need to get someone here now!!!!!” 

“Papa! What happened?!!!!” My head snaps up to see Elio standing in the doorway of the kitchen with a look of horror on his face, and he quickly runs over to us and I physically want to throw up in that moment. This is definitely not how the night was supposed to go, I was not supposed to be here! And now I am here literally holding my best friend's life in my very hands and his son is witnessing all of this, the very same son that I had just slept with hours before and I know exactly what this is going to look like once the cops show up all this... shit! This is fucked up! So fucked up! 

‘ I need to get the fuck out of here right now!’

“Oliver what hap-” I don’t let him finish his sentence. I don’t want to tell him the horrible details. There is no time for that Samuel is literally dying right in front of our eyes. Where are the paramedics?!!!!!!!!

Without hesitation I grab Elio’s hands with my bloody ones and press his hands down onto his father’s neck and Samuel grabs my hand wrist, his eyes looking towards his son. A silent exchange is between us and I just give a nod of my head unsure of what Samuel is asking of me but I know it has something to do with Elio. 

“Elio, listen to me, I need you to keep your hands here until the ambulance arrives. I need to go. Keep putting pressure on the wound and don’t let go no matter what happens, do you understand? I’m sorry, Elio. I am so sorry!” 

I look at Samuel, he is shaking and my eyes begin to fill with tears then without a word, I take off like a bat out of hell and run as fast as my feet can carry me. 

“What?! Wait! Oliver! Don’t leave me alone!” I hear Elio scream after me, his voice shaking with worry and fear. 

The moment my feet hit the gravel road and I hear the crunching under my feet, I know that the gravity of what I am doing is going to come back and haunt me. But I don’t stop running as I head out of the gate, I continue to do so as more sweat collects on my skin. The smell of Sammy’s blood makes me want to physically throw up, I know I look guilty as fuck and that isn’t going to help me when and if someone catches me out here in the condition I am in. 

I take the alleyways just to be on the safe side and try to make my way back to my apartment without either killing myself from exhaustion or my legs giving out beforehand and I just collapse right there, among the piling heaps of garbage. 

‘fuck! Why did this have to happen? Why Sammy? He did nothing wrong. He was a good guy and very down to earth! What the hell did those people want?’ 

My feet begin to hurt when I hit the boulevard sign and I know that I am no longer in The Perlman’s neighborhood but across town, getting closer to my destination. I can hear the sounds of the police sirens, and the ambulance’s wailing cries as they zoom past me as I am bending to catch my breath. My lungs filled with the disgusting smell of rotten bananas, mixed with shit diapers and spoiled milk on top of vomit. Thankfully I am a few blocks away from where I live so I gather up the balls to push myself just a little further, out of the alleyway and into the next one, one after the other after another. 

****

When I finally make it to my house I stumble through the door and rush to the bathroom as the sudden urge to throw up hits me, in a nauseous wave. I flick on the light and have just enough time, throw the toilet seat up and then all the alcohol and the food that I had eaten and drank hours earlier all come out in a splash. 

I lift my head coughing and heaving as I take in a shuddering breath, tears swell and fall from my eyes, as the image of Samuel comes into my mind. The way his body convulsed, the wide eye deer look in his eyes, the helplessness, the undeniable fear that flickered across his face as he fell into my arms, all the blood… so much fucking blood…. He was saying “help me Oliver… help me.” and I ran like a fucking coward! 

My cheeks hollow out and I shove my head down again and become sick again my stomach heaving, my muscles tighten and I whimper softly, wanting to call out to my bubbie but I am alone. In my house, my hands are covered in Samuel’s blood and I am having a slight breakdown right there in my bathroom. I need to pull myself together and think of what to do. 

With effort I pull myself to my feet, flush the toilet and flick on the faucet turning on the water, I grab the soap and scrub my hands thoroughly enough to make my hands hurt, until my fingernails are clean and the reddish liquid is completely gone from my hands. 

‘It’s going to be okay Oliver, you didn’t do anything wrong. You called 911 and you tried to save his life. It is up to the paramedics now.’ 

‘Yes but you also ran away and have blood all over your clothes! Which makes you look guilty! Not to mention very suspicious when you could have stayed there!’

‘No! If I would have stayed the cops would have connected me to Scarlet and she has already said that if she gets busted in anyway, she will take me down with her!’

I look at my pathetic expression in the mirror and let out a heavy sigh of loss, frustration and most of all helplessness. I wanted to chastise myself for staying with Elio. I should have just left the house with Scarlet like I was supposed to! If i would have done that, then Samuel would possibly still be breathing and I would have been well on my way into getting the money that I earned. But at that moment I had lost the sight of my dream and let a charming, rich, good looking musician get in the way of that. 

Just one happy, good night ruined everything! And now I have to face the wrath of Scarlet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! ^_^ This is the End of Part 1 Officially! More to come in Part 2 so if you would like to keep reading then I welcome you to come along with me! 
> 
> It's gonna get even crazier from here and many things are going to happen for Oliver, Elio and the rest of the gang so stay tuned! and thank you for any comments it really does help inspire me to come up with new ideas!
> 
> much love to my CMBYN family <3


	17. If Only Tears Could Bring You Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the night worsens the Interviews begin the Perlman's are torn apart and nothing will ever be the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome everybody to Part 2!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you have hung in there this long great job! I am proud of you for doing so it just means that I have done my job well lol

Elio 

The air is cold as I am being escorted through the halls of the police station, wrapped in a blanket to keep warm still in my clothes wrinkled from being wadded up on my bedroom floor, walking in my sneakers with no socks on, my hair is a mess from sleeping, my nose pink, my cheeks dampened from all of my tears, blood covers my hands, the metallic penny like smell still is stuck in my nose from moments before the cops arrived. 

“Keep your hand there until the ambulance arrives and when the cops arrive.” his voice was racked with pain, he had tears in his eyes, but somehow he had remained calm during such an event. It was scary to me, I had never seen something like that before. “I’m sorry, Elio. I am so sorry!” he kept repeating and then I watched him run off into the night, without so much a goodbye. 

“Wait! Oliver! Don’t leave me alone!” I yelled out but he didn’t look back, he didn’t even stop. 

He left me there holding my dying father’s neck, I could hear the gasping, as he tried to catch his breath, but couldn’t due to the large gash across his neck. 

‘Traitor! Traitor! Traitor!’ 

“Hold on papa, just hold on, help is coming! They are going to help, just don’t try to talk, it will make things worse. Fuck! There is so much blood!”

Oliver was the one that called the cops, I ended up finding him with blood on his hands and instead of explaining how the blood got on his hands, he just told me to press my hands on my father’s neck to try to stop the bleeding. 

By the time the cops and the ambulance had arrived my father was gone, he was cold in my arms, I can still hear the gasping of his breath, the gurgled, strangling like noise that sounded out as he fought for life. My right hand pressed to his neck, my left holds his hand as he continues to shake on the floor. His eyes staring up into mine with such fear and uncertainty. 

Maman was in tears. I can still hear her broken hearted sobs and wails as she tries to come close to me, Mafalda screams and nearly faints at the sight before us.  
“Just step right in here, Mr. Perlman and we can get started. Is there anything we can get you?” His voice is somewhat sympathetic, yet very professional.

The detective motions for me to enter one of the interrogation rooms, holding the door for me he steps aside to allow me inside first. 

"No thank you." I mumble lightly as I walk past the threshold of the door and enter the interrogation room. 

It was as I expected it to be a metal table in the middle of the room with two wooden chairs sitting across from each other, the bars on the windows, the walls concrete, a large glass window that was to my left with blinds covering it, the hard concrete flooring.

'This room looks how I feel numb, dreary and depressed.'

The moment my butt touches the chair I am greeted by two detectives who sit down in front of me. 

One of them has long black hair pulled up into a ponytail, a beard, oval shaped eyes(grey), brawed shoulders, short legs and he looks to be about in his early 40s. Dressed in a navy blue suit and a red tie with a ship pattern on it. A sort of scowl painted on his features, he makes me uncomfortable for some reason, maybe it's because he looks intimidating or is trying to be. 

"My name is detective Murcoff and this is my partner Elizabeth Danvers. We would like to ask you some questions about what happened tonight.”

“You are dressed rather formally Mr. Perlman.” the cop known as Danvers observes with a keen eye.

“It was my parents wedding anniversary tonight. Well, I guess it would be yesterday now.” I shrug softly. “My father loved to throw parties on special occasions.” 

“Was it just you and your parents at this party? Or were there others with you and if so how many would you say?” detective Murcoff asked  
“No. um… it was my parents, myself, and many of my father’s colleagues as well as personal friends of our family. So I would say maybe around at least 45 to 50 people there.” 

I watched Murcoff scribble things down on his yellow notepad though I wasn’t paying attention to what he was writing. While the other detective continued with the next few questions.

“Was the party invite only or could anyone come to this party?” : Murcoff

Elio: “Invite only. My father was the one that sent out the invitations.” 

“Did your father have any enemies that you know of? Anyone who would want to hurt him, or maybe a co-worker, or someone that had a grudge or anything like that.”

I let out a soft disbelieving chuckle, lightly knocking my hand on the table in front of me as I sat back in my chair. Looking at the detectives.

“My father doesn’t have enemies, he is- “ I stop for a moment looking away from them, feeling the tears come back to me. “He was a good man, he got along with just about everyone, never said a bad thing about anybody and he was always polite to new people that he would meet.”

Detective Danvers reaches into her pocket and hands me a tissue so I can wipe my eyes, she looks at her partner then who nods. 

Murcoff: “I know this is hard for you right now, Mr. Perlman but could you please tell us what you were doing around 1:55am to 2:45am?” 

I sniff a few times trying to get myself under control then answer the question. 

“I was asleep in my room upstairs. The party was pretty much over by then, and everyone had gone home for the night. All of the guests that were too drunk to drive home or call a cab stayed at the house. But I don’t remember who all stayed and who went home. Can I please go home now?”

Danvers: “You can once we are finished here just a few more questions. Do you know if you saw or heard anything? You must have seen something, you said earlier that you saw your father laying on the ground in the kitchen. Did you happen to see who attacked your father?”

“I’m sorry, Elio. I am so sorry!”

“It’s like I said before detective. I was asleep in my room, I heard a noise and when I went downstairs, I saw my father lying there on the kitchen floor gasping for a breath and there was…. He was-” 

“Okay, son alright. I think we have enough for now. But before you go would you mind if we took a dna sample from you. It’s just a quick scrape under the fingernails for evidence then you may go. If you remember anything else please, call us and again, Mr. Perlman I am so very sorry for your loss.”

Murcoff slides his card across the table to me before getting up out of his seat and leaving the room, leaving the door wide open as he does so. 

Detective Danvers stays with me as a woman with curly brown hair dressed in a lab coat comes in with a swab and a plastic test tube. Walking over to me she instructs me to open my mouth and when I do she swabs around my cheeks, taking my saliva. 

After that I was free to leave.

******  
Scarlet Dominguez interview- 3AM: interview conducted by Elizabeth Danvers

Scarlet

“Can we please get on with this detective? I need to get my beauty sleep.” I grumble jerking the chair away from the table and sitting down, with my hair in rollers, dressed in my light velvet silk robe, with a cigarette hanging from my lips. 

“Trust me, miss Dominguez, we don’t want to be here doing this either, yet here we are. Now just answer our questions and we will let you go.” 

“Where’s your partner? Why can’t he come and talk to me?”  
“Miss Dominguez would you care to share your whereabouts yesterday afternoon?” 

‘Jeez these cops are all the same, no sense of humor whatsoever! This will be a piece of cake, just tell them what they want to know and then you will be back home. But I am going to have a serious talk with….’

“Miss Dominguez the longer you waste my time, the longer you will be sitting here. What were you doing yesterday afternoon?” 

“I was at a party with a friend. I stayed until midnight and then I took a cab home, took off my clothes, jumped in the shower had a nice hot bath and crawled into bed. Until I was rudely interrupted by your goons and their little obsession with me, had me come down here.” 

I was in a very bad mood tonight thanks to Oliver and that stupid little…. He cost me my biggest clients by distracting that giant-

“Whose party did you attend?” The detective turns her nose up at me and I want to smack her, who does she think she is speaking to me this way? Her tone is so suspicious as if I have something to hide, I have nothing to hide I didn’t do anything! And yet, here I am! 

“The Perlman’s party. Are you happy now, can I go?” I snap.

“Not quite. How do you know the Perlman’s? are they personal friends of yours, colleagues perhaps? Or maybe they are buyers of your little extra curricular activities?” 

I smirk. “What are you implying detective? That I sold the Perlman’s drugs at their own party? What kind of woman do you take me for?” 

“Oh I know all about your family Dominguez. I know about your daddy’s little drug empire and believe me it is just a matter of time before we catch you and your cousin in the act. But that is not what we are here to talk about, we are here because a respectable man is dead and a family is broken apart. Now tell me how you know Perlman's.”  
“My father was a respectable man! And honorable man and you fucking pigs killed him where is the justice in that! Huh?! You tell me why this man gets more attention than my father ever did when he died?! You cops think you are on the right side of the law when you are just as crooked as the criminals you imprison. They are someone's father, mother, aunt, uncle, sister, brother, they are someone's family and everyday you tear their families apart!” 

“Your father was a drug addict and a seller of meth and cocaine. He made that decision and no one forced him to do anything Scarlet.” 

‘Fucking bitch! Disrespecting my family like this, she will get hers soon enough, oh I plan on this.’ 

I sigh and take a deep breath gathering my thoughts. “We have a mutual friend. His name is Oliver Willows, in fact perhaps you should be looking in his direction instead of mine detective.”

She looks at me intrigued and sits back clasping her hands together. “And why should we be looking into him?” 

“Detective Oliver is a writer, and you know how all writers are driven to find anything to write a story about. Always craving new ideas, learning from experience as they do in life. Maybe Oliver killed this poor guy and is sick enough to write about it, to make bank off of someone else’s tragedy all the best selling authors do it. Take basic instinct for example a successful business woman, who also is a writer, kills men exactly as she wrote in her book. What makes you think he didn’t watch that movie and want to be a copycat.”

“And you think that this Oliver guy is the killer?”

“You said it, not me.”

For two more hours I had to stay there and let officer mc virgin pants ask me more questions about Oliver and how well I knew him in relation to Mr. Perlman. Where she could get in contact with him, and then more stuff about where I was during the party and what happened. By the time we were finished I was down to my last cigarette she snatched that one from me, and tossed it to the ground and stomped it out. 

“There is no smoking in this building, Miss Dominguez, don’t go there again. Oh and Scarlet, don’t leave the country or anything of that nature, until we have ruled you out as a suspect. Have a pleasant evening.” 

Luca Guadaninio

“Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to talk to us. We promise that this won’t take too long, and we will try and be as quick as possible.” detective Murcoff states as he motions for me to sit down. 

“Certainly officer whatever I can do to help find my brother’s killer.” my voice is soft yet filled with emotion, I still can not believe that my own brother is dead. After the wonderful night of dancing and drinking, his infectious personality snuffed out way too sudden. 

Murcoff’s partner is starstruck. 

Danvers: “Mr. Guadaninio may I say that I am a big fan of yours. My husband and I love your movies. A bigger splash is one of my favorite movies of all time!” 

“Oh well, thank you very much. I am glad to see another fan of my work, I am currently working on a project that I would hope to be another success. But enough talk about that, ask your questions please.” My tone is very polite even though I am very tired and wish to go to bed, the event of my brother’s sudden death has shaken me up.

Murcoff: “Mr. Guadaninio what was your relationship like with Mr. Perlman? Were you close?” 

“Yes. Samuel and I were best friends growing up. I supported him through his aspirations, his dreams and kept up with everything that he did in school. My brother was my best friend, my confidant, I was there for every birthday, everything and he and I told each other our problems.” 

Danvers nods her head and writes down a few notes in her pad. “Did your brother have any enemies?” 

“Um… no I don’t remember my brother ever- actually yes. He did at one point, had an affair with a woman. I do not remember her name, but it didn’t last very long. He was in a phase of his life where he wanted to be adventurous and he wasn’t very proud of it afterwards, he went back to Annella shortly after and never spoke to that woman again.” 

Murcoff: “Do you know if there were any rough feelings after the breakup? Did he talk about any grudges that she may have had against him? Any disgruntled phone calls, messages that she may have sent him?”  
“No. I’m sorry, detective, he didn’t say much about her after that. He sort of brushed it under the rug and moved on with his life.” 

Danvers: “what were you doing from 1:55am and 2:45am?” 

“I stayed at the house and fell asleep in the study, I had way too much wine and didn’t want to drive home. So I went upstairs and passed out on the couch.”

Murcoff: “Did you happen to hear anything such as a struggle?” 

“I heard yelling but I assumed that it was my brother having a nightmare. He had horrible nightmares as a child. I should… detective I should have-” 

‘I should have done something! I should have never went to sleep, and-’

Detective Danvers reaches for my hand across the table and gives it a sympathetic squeeze, her eyes are soft, her hand reassuring but I don’t feel reassured at all. I want to know who did this to my brother and all I can think about is how Elio and Annella are taking this news. 

“We are going to find the person that did this to your brother. I promise Mr. Guadaninio.”

*******  
Elio

The police allowed us to gather some of our things from the house when we got there the place was still swarmed with cop cars with the crimson and dark blue lights flashing. There was a crowd of neighbors around the sidewalks trying to see what was going on, along with a bunch of news reporters who were also parked outside with their cameras and the news anchors trying to get us to speak to them. 

“Please everyone stay back!” I hear the man’s deep bumbling voice yell as my mother and I move past him and walk straight up the driveway and into the house. 

I keep my head down until we get over the threshold of the front door and all around us there are more police investigators, the forensics team, a crime scene photographer taking photos as we pass, I don’t dare look towards the kitchen and I definitely don’t look as the coroner takes away my father’s body away in a black body bag. 

I head straight to my room and shut the door behind me blocking out all the voices downstairs, speaking way too loud. 

With a heavy heart I grab a week's worth of clothing, my toothbrush, toothpaste, other toiletries dropping the contents on my bed. Then I look underneath my bed and drag out my large dark brown duffle bag that I brought with me from my apartment and dropped it onto my bed, shoving all of my things inside of it and zipping it up. 

I grab my backpack off of my bathroom door knob and gather up my transcribing book, my ipod, my zip bag that held my pencils and a whole booklet of staff paper that was blank. I also grab my journal and put all of those things into my backpack and slowly zip it up. 

“Ready to go dear?” 

I turn to see my mother standing in the doorway with her own bag in her left hand and her purse hung on her right shoulder, her eyes are puffy and I want to break down and cry again. But, I don’t. Instead, I nod silently not saying anything and go to her taking my hand in hers, she leads me downstairs where we walk past the police and the horrible bloodied floor. 

We make our way out of the house, past all of the people and the news reporters who are shouting for interviews. But my ears are clogged up with my own heartbeat that I can’t seem to hear them, they are muffled to me, as if I am under water and my mind is too tired to think about anything right now. All I wanted was to curl up and go to sleep. 

******

The drive to Vimini’s house lasted only fifteen minutes and the moment that my mother and I got out of the car, walked to their door and Vimini’s mother opened the door. I could already feel my tears threatening to come out again for the third time that night. 

“Oh Annella, Elio. we just heard the news. I am so glad you both are safe and I am so sorry about Samuel.” Her voice was sincere and filled with sympathy, as she closed the front door, she embraced my mother into a hug and I quietly escaped to Vimini’s room that was upstairs.  
When I knock on the door I hear a soft, “Come in.” come from inside the room and when I open the door, i see Vimini dressed in her pajamas, laying on her back in bed, with a bowl of popcorn watching a movie. 

When she sees me, she moves the bowl and sits up, without saying a word, I drop my bags by her front door on the floor and immediately go to her. Climbing on the bed, she opens her arms to me and I fall into them hugging her tightly. All of my composure is gone from me, I feel her hand caress my hair and she whispers comforting words to me. 

For the rest of that night, Vimini and I sit on her bed and cry together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well guys what do you think so far? in this next chapter we will continue a little bit with Elio as he goes through his mourning for his father, Oliver dealing with Samuel's death and Scarlet's ever brooding attitude. 
> 
> More interviews as the investigation begins for who killed Mr. Perlman. So stay tuned, sit tight and throw on your detective caps it's about to get a lot more interesting. =3


	18. The Investigation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The police search the Perlman home for clues, while Anella and Oliver are interviewed; Elio’s mourning process continues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We begin with Annella’s point of view first just to change the pace a little bit ^_^

Vimini’s House: 9:00am

Anella Perlman 

Last night was very hard to sleep. The visions of my husband laying there cold and lifeless on our kitchen floor will remain in my mind, for as long as I live. The very sight of him… that was not my husband, whoever that man was on my floor was not the man that I married, it was someone else, a stranger in my husband’s skin maybe.

“Annella would you like some coffee? I could make you some if you like?” Vimini’s mother asks patting me on my shoulder, startling me a little, I had stayed up all night watching the news to see if the cops had come up with anything. Nothing so far. 

“Yes. thank you.” my voice isn’t above a whisper, I don’t feel like myself it's like there is a gaping hole where my heart should be. It’s empty. 

My eyes follow Vimini’s mother around the kitchen as I sit there at the dining room table, with my hands folded on the table cloth. I watch as she makes her way around the kitchen getting the coffee pot ready and washing her hands as she begins to pull out ingredients to what appears to be strawberry and chocolate chip pancakes. 

“The police called around 6 this morning, they want you to come in and give your statement.” 

I give a sigh of defeat for a second. I think about telling her that I am too tired to go, that I will do so when I am more awake and refreshed. But I don’t. 

“I still can’t believe he is gone. My mind can not comprehend it, fleur that he will no longer be in our lives and the worst part of this whole thing is… Elio, he loves his father more than anything. He-”  
A sudden knock at the door stops my sentence and I look to my best friend, who sets down the box of pancake mix, wipes her hands on a towel. “Are you expecting anyone Annella?” 

“No. Are you?” 

“No. Vimini’s father leaves for work at four each morning so I rarely see him and he has a key.” 

I get up slowly from the table and head over to the knife drawer and pull one of the knives out holding it by the handle. I know it could be nothing, but after the night that I have had and Elio, I was not about to lose my son as well. 

Slowly we make our way out of the kitchen together and past the living room to the front door, me in the front and her behind me with a wooden spoon. Our steps quiet as we get closer to the front door the knocking continues and I call out “who's there?” just as Elio and Vimini pop their heads out of her bedroom and ask,

“Maman? What’s go….” 

“Stay there.” 

The moment the door is jerked open and we see Luca standing there dressed in his knitted dark blue sweater, and matching pants with his shiny black shoes. A shocked look plastered on his face when he sees me with the knife in my hand and my friend with the wooden spoon. 

“Annella, what are you doing with that knife?” his italian accent comes through in a soft tone. 

“Oh Luca! Thank heaven it is just you! Come we were just making breakfast.” I hear Vimini’s mother reply with relief as I watch her turn on her heels as if his presence isn’t that important and stalk back off into the kitchen as I stifle a giggle. 

I step aside and Luca enters the house, he takes his shoes off at the door and greets me with a warm and much needed embrace, the moment we are touching I begin to sob. He smells of Samuel’s cigarettes, wine and shampoo. I feel his arms tighten around my waist and he squeezes, the warmth of family embraces me and I sink into it.   
“I came as soon as I got done at the police station.” The moment he releases me, I wipe my eyes as I hear Elio’s feet come down the hallway and run towards Luca, his face brightening at the very sight of the man. 

I kindly step aside before my son plows over me and chuckles as I watch the two of them embrace each other and Luca kisses Elio’s cheeks, murmuring how much he has missed Elio and how much he loves him. 

I don’t know another soul alive who could possibly love Elio more than my husband’s brother. They are as close as two best friends are, or that you can be when you are uncle and nephew. Elio tells him everything and it is nice to see that he can confide in someone like Luca to help guide him in life. 

“Annella, could you help me in the kitchen? I think I may have used way too much badder again.” 

‘This woman…. She would not know where half of her spatulas are if I wasn’t here to help her look.’ 

“Elio why don’t you and your uncle sit in here while I go help Vimin’s mother with breakfast then we can all eat together.” 

************

Breakfast was always an event that Samuel and I would share together with Elio and the rest of our family every morning. It was a ritual for us as a family so getting to have some resemblance of it this morning, warmed my heart and brought about bittersweet memories. 

We talked about Luca’s new movie that he was working on, the weather, Elio’s tour and what it was like, then Vimini spoke about what she was going to do after she graduated from school which got us all in smiles and laughter. 

Once we had way too many pancakes between the five of us I helped Luca with the dishes while my best friend went to the grocery store to pick up some groceries for dinner later. 

“Annella how are you?” 

“I miss him, Luca. this still doesn’t feel real, any moment I think he will come in the room and be his chipper self, hear his laughter or feel his arms wrap around me in a hug. But I am more worried about Elio and how he is handling all of this… It wasn’t just yesterday that he was laughing and hanging out with his father and now, my son is having to speak to the police about his father’s death, not being able to go home and sleep in his own bed. I can’t even imagine-”

“Elio is a brave and very bright young man. Annella you and Samuel both raised him well and I for one can’t be any more proud of him as my nephew. He will be alright, he has us to look out for him, he has his Vimini to keep him in line if he does something stupid and I have no doubt in my heart that my brother is watching over him too.”

I nod in agreement as I pass Luca another rinsed off plate and he places it in the draining rack on the counter next to the sink.

“Where were you last night, Elio was asking for you.” 

“I was at the police station speaking to the police.” 

A small sliver of hope comes to my chest as Luca looks at me, holding out his hand to give him another plate. 

“What did you tell them?” I hand over another plate after rising it off with the sprayer. 

“The truth. I told them that Samuel was my brother and that we had a wonderful relationship, then they asked me about enemies of my brother and I spoke about the woman who he had an affair with.” 

I stiffen slightly and turn my eyes down to the water. “I see…” 

I trail off with a tone of ice a lot more cold than I had planned to let out and Luca places his hand onto mine, in a gesture of warmth and comfort. His brown eyes hold sympathy and understanding in them when I force myself to look up at him and his lips turn up into a light smile. 

“Annella, I didn’t tell them that to hurt you. I thought they should know about it just because they need to rule out people who didn’t do this and I know that you did not kill my brother. You had no reason to you loved my brother that very much is clear from the very first time Samuel ever talked about you. So you have nothing to worry about, I do not agree with my brother’s way of handling that situation but I know that he did feel guilty about it afterwards.” 

“Okay Luca enough! I don’t want to talk about that. Please, don't bring it up again, the past is the past. Let’s leave it there yeah? I need to go to the police station.” 

*******

After I made myself presentable I headed to the police station where the detectives that I saw talking to Elio didn’t seem to be at their desks. Which made me wonder if they were off looking into my husband’s murder, as a woman dressed in a police uniform and she holds out her hand in greeting as she introduces herself. 

“Lovely to see you mrs. Perlman please follow me. My name is detective Gonzalez I will be taking your statement today since detective Murcoff is away and detective Danvers is at a crime scene.”

“Oh? Has there been any news about finding any clues?” I follow the woman to the interrogation room and she shuts the door behind her as she walks in behind me. 

I sit down in the chair across from detective Gonzales and she sits down with a yellow notepad and her pen, along with a tape recorder. 

“Take your time mrs. Perlman and tell me everything that you saw, heard, anything that you remember. Also please do not let the recorder scare you, it is just here so that I can give it to detective Murcoff later. So whenever you are ready.” 

‘She is either really good at her job and loves it or she is highly thorough in getting information.’

“During the time of the party, I mingled with our friends and focused on helping Mafalda in the kitchen, most of the guests there were friends of Samuel and I. People that we met from going to museums, others from the parties that we have thrown and they all left after the party.”

“How long did the party last?”   
“By twelve some of the guests left and Luca, my husband’s brother was too drunk to go leave for his hotel room so we had him sleep up in the study. It ended completely around 1 to 2am and I went to bed around that time, then I woke up at some point by my son’s screams, and that was when I saw my husband in a puddle of his own blood on the floor. Then after that… we ended up driving Elio here to give his statement and then we drove to our friends house to stay while the police conduct their investigation.”

“What was your marriage like Mrs. Perlman?” 

“Samuel and I have been the best of friends since the day we met, he is… I mean, was the love of my life and nothing in the world will ever change that.”

“did you happen to see who did this?"

"No, as I have told you detective Gonzalez, I was asleep and when I woke up and went towards the screaming my husband was dead on the floor. So how could I have seen anyone." 

************  
Oliver 

Not even the teardrop shaped bag above my head can take the images of Samuel out of my head. That morning, I woke up drenched in sweat, with my clothing sticking to my body and Sammy’s name coming screaming out of my mouth, and my heart slamming against my ribcage as I sat up in bed.

I focus my eyes on the bag in front of me and start punching first with the right then the left fist, back and forth the sound of the bag banging up against the wood above it distracts me for a while. But it doesn’t completely block the sounds of my friend gasping or erases the look in his eyes. The terror, the pleading. 

‘Again it wasn’t your fault stop blaming yourself.’

I hit the bag harder and faster until there is a steady rhythm like the cadence of a drum over and over back and forth. Until the teardrop is a blur against my hands. 

‘Forgive yourself, forgive yourself, forgive yourself, forgive yourself, forgive yourself’ 

*knock*

*knock* 

*knock* 

It takes me a second to realize that there is someone knocking on my front door, which causes me to lose concentration once the knocks become more persistent in raps and harder. It is more like a steady blaming like it's the cops or much worse Scarlet!

‘Oh fuck! Please don’t let it be her!’

I stop putting my hands on the bag to keep it from hitting me and to stop it all together, then snatch the towel from the chair up against the wall and wipe my sweat from the back of my neck and forehead, as I head from my bedroom and go to the front door. I silently pray that it isn't’ Scarlet not because I am scared of her or anything. I’m not. but her showing up at my house is the last thing that I would need right now. 

Taking a deep breath. I put my hand on the door knob and peer through the peephole, sure enough it is a cop and I sigh in relief or what I assume is relief or maybe I am just kidding myself. 

I open the door and the man standing before me is….

“What the hell do you want Carter?”

“Well hello, to you too Oliver, nice to see you after what five years?” The man chuckles then turns serious, his eyes focused on mine, he puts his hands into his pockets and sways on his feet, side to side. 

“Ten and last time I checked I was an adult to make my own damn decisions that don’t need to be filtered through my parents for their permission. Or are you here to spy on me and report back to my parent’s on every fucking move I make like the good little lap dog your are?”  
“Oliver… that was a long time ago, and I was only doing what I thought was best for you. Just like I am doing here now. We need to talk and I’m not leaving until we do.” 

I scoff rolling my eyes. “And what would we possibly have to talk about after seven years Carter?” I cross my arms over my chest leaning against the doorway, with the towel I was using over my shoulder. 

“There is a man dead Oliver and as of right now you are a suspect in this case that I am working on. I need to know exactly what happened, and where you were on the night of September 12th between the time of 1:55am and 2:45am.”

‘Sammy hold on please! I’m going to help you! You’re gonna be okay.’ 

Bile rises up in my throat and the nauseating feeling hits my stomach and without a word, I step aside my eyes widening in horror, I rush to the sink as Carter steps into the house and shuts the door behind him. My breakfast coming up and spilling into the kitchen sink, the tears coming to my eyes as I do, I am instantly taken back to that kitchen, I can smell the blood and hear Sammy’s gasps again. 

‘This is the one thing that I didn’t want to happen and now, it is happening right now. You are fucking guilty the second you open your mouth you are fucking dead man!’ 

“You have a loophole Oliver! Use it to your advantage and tell him what you know! He may be able to protect you from that horrid witch of a woman. He is here to help you, take what you know and use it against her! Save your own ass and protect yourself!’

Once I gain my composure and rinse the sink out with water, take care of the unpalatable taste in my mouth as Carter sits down on the sofa, waiting patiently, taking in the surroundings of my apartment. 

“How am I a suspect?” I am surprised I am able to find my voice after that as I make my way into the living room and sit down beside Carter on the far side of the couch, my hands clasped together, resting my elbows on my knees. 

“We got a tip from someone who says that they were with you that night of the Perlman’s party.”

“Who?”   
“Oliver….” 

“Who. was. It. Carter,” I try not to get frustrated or scared by the thought of who the person could be and I try not to let my mind go to the one person who I betrayed. 

“Tell me what you know first and I will tell you who the source was but you have to tell me what you know.” 

He says in a stern voice, his no screwing around this is a very serious matter voice, and this is definitely no laughing matter. You are in some serious shit voice and I sit up straight, looking him directly in the eyes. 

“Yes. I was at that party, Samuel had invited me. He and I were friends. I met him working at the coffee shop just down the street from here, he would come in everyday just for us to sit and talk about all kinds of things from literature to art. This guy was very smart and a very kind soul. On the night of the party, I was asked to take a woman with me to the party, I was escorting her.”

“Hold on? You work as an escort? Oliver, what-” 

“You want to know what happened or not?” I snapped letting him know I was not in the mood for his judgement right now. 

“Yes, I work as an escort. I needed the money so I escorted this woman to Samuel’s party, I was doing my thing making her happy by dancing, talking with the guests and just having a good time. I even met Elio Perlman, Sammy’s son… who is as intelligent as his dad anyway, around twelve the lady and I were supposed to go back to her place.” 

“But you didn’t?” Carter was writing everything I said on a notepad. 

“No. I didn’t leave with her. I stayed with Elio and the woman left in a cab, pissed off at me but at the time, I didn’t care and I stayed at the Perlman’s continued to party with them long into the night. Elio and I were stuck to each other like glue we talked upstairs for hours and then we ended up getting drunker, we smoked a little weed and then we ended up having sex in his room.”

“And what time did this happen?”   
“12am to 1:55am I was going to leave. After that I knew I was going to be in some deep shit with my boss back at the club. But Elio paid me to stay longer so I gave in and we snuggled then I passed out, and when I woke up I could hear Sammy….” 

I feel Carter’s hand touch my shoulder when I stop talking and he can see that I am trying to keep it together. My hands are shaking, and there is a slight tremor in my leg as I am sitting there, I can see the images again as I continue the story. 

“I could hear his screams from downstairs so I got out of bed and went to go see what was going on and that was when I saw these guys, dressed in black, armed with weapons. Sammy was trying to fight them off-”

“How many guys were there and did you see what they looked like?” 

“No. they were wearing masks and I wanna say five or six of them, one was carrying a damn baseball bat and the other was a knife. I rushed in to help get the guys off of him, and there was a struggle as we tried to contain all of the intruders into the kitchen. I didn’t want anyone else. I was fighting one of them off… when I turned around Sammy was holding his throat and there was blood seeping through his hands. The fucker pushed him into me and they took off, I didn’t see where they went, I was too focused on trying to stop the blood. It was…. Fuck!”

“Did you call the cops?”

“Yes! I called the cops and I called the ambulance, I stayed on the phone with them with the guy dying on that damn floor! I was trying to save his life Carter I didn’t fucking kill him. His blood is still on my shirt!” 

My voice cracks with anger and defensiveness, my eyes are beginning to sting as I already regret rehashing this painful event again to my family’s friend. Who seems unphased by the details of what happened but remains blank faced most of the time, probably due to experience on the force. It’s not him I am angry with I am still dealing with being mad at myself. 

“Okay, Okay. son, listen to me I didn’t ask that question to make you upset. I’m just trying to piece together what we already have vs what we still need to know so I can rule you out as a suspect. That’s all, so don’t go biting my head off. Alright. Tell me, what happened next?” 

“I held my hands on his throat for as long as I could then Elio came downstairs and saw me with my hands on his dad’s throat and freaked the fuck out. I explained to him what happened and then I had him, keep his hands where mine were and I bolted from the house. I didn’t know what else to do at the time, I was scared out of my mind Carter! And I came back here and washed my hands, changed my clothes, drank some whiskey and talked to Carlos until four in the morning then went to bed.” 

“Why did you run from the house? And who was the woman that you took to the party?” 

‘Shit! I can’t give him a name I can’t! She will kill me! Don’t make me say it.’

“I… I can’t tell you. Carter, I’m sorry. I just can’t tell you her name, everything is confidential between all the clients and the escorts.”

I see the expression in Carter’s eyes change his pad and pen forgotten on my coffee table, he shifts his weight so that he sits facing me, his right leg bent on the couch while his left leg stays straight, foot on the floor. He looks as though he is weighing his words carefully before he speaks. 

“Oliver if you are scared that I am going to use whatever you tell me against to make you look guilty, I am not I’m-”

“What makes you think that I can trust you? How did you even know I was here?” my voice is accusatory and suspicious. 

“I have seen you at the coffee shop Oliver and Carlos called me, saying that you needed help because you were in trouble. I am not here to bust you to your parent’s quite frankly, you getting away from them was the best thing you could have done and I am proud of you. But, this person who told me about you is not a very good person Oliver and you will be in a lot of danger if you don’t let me help you.” 

“Fine. Carter what is it that you want me to do?”

********  
Elio 

The house is eerily quiet as mom and I step over the threshold, her in front and me following behind her carrying our bags from the car. The bags feel heavy within my grasp, like there are two ton weights in them making my shoulders sag. 

“Just set mine on the floor dear, I’ll see that Mafalda tends to it. Why don’t you go put your things in your room and I’ll see about making us some lunch hm.” 

I feel my mother touch my hair lightly kissing it in a gesture of comfort and I smile weakly as I take my backpack that is slung over my left shoulder, making the silent walk to the upstairs where my room is. 

With each step I take to my ears my steps seem to get louder and louder as it echoes in my own ears. I can also hear my father’s voice… more specifically his heart warming laughter filing the hallways, or maybe that is just wishful thinking on my part. 

As I continue to walk I suddenly get hit with the strong scent of my father’s cologne and I take a breath stopping in my tracks, I turn my head to the left and see that the door is ajar, cracked open for a second I stare debating on whether I should go in or not. 

“Elly-Belly, you know you can always talk to us.” I hear my father’s voice say in my mind and I dare myself to take the steps to the door and push it open. 

It is not yet night and the desk lamp is on dim but the room is darkened by the dark storm clouds outside giving it a dusty and gloomy feel to the once vibrant room. Everything was as he had it, messy with papers slewed everywhere all over his desk, one of his greek mythology books opened up, to a specific page that was dog eared probably something that he was currently working on. 

His projector lay lifeless in the right corner of the room by the stainless glass window, all of his other books stacked neatly in rows upon rows on the bookshelf on the left side behind his desk. 

The smell of cigarette smoke hits my nose mixing with the cologne and I feel my heart wretch within my chest as I step further into the room and shut the door behind me. I set my bag on the floor by the chair that I had always sat in each time I sat listening to my father’s lectures about subjects of love, greek statues, and the journey of certain words of how they came to be today.   
I turn around and walk over to the red, faded, plush couch that was up against the wall in front of the mirror, and sit down resting my back against the soft anterior, running my hand across it slowly. I look to my left and expect to see papa sitting right there, slouched poster, sitting left calf over his right thigh, lit cigarette in his left hand, ashtray at the ready for the long ashes that he often produced from smoking a cigarette too long. A glass of whiskey in his other hand, glasses on his face with a loving yet, sentimental look in his eyes as he gave me my first lesson in heartache. 

“In your place, if there is pain, nurse it, and if there is a flame, don’t snuff it out, don’t be brutal with it. Withdrawal can be a terrible thing when it keeps us awake at night, and watching others forget us sooner than we’d want to be forgotten is no better. We rip out so much of ourselves to be cured of things faster than we should that we go bankrupt by the age of 30 and have less to offer each time we start with someone new. But to feel nothing so as not to feel anything—what a waste! Nature has cunning ways of finding our weakest spots Elio, but I want you to remember that I am here. If you ever need to speak about such things again, please come and talk to me. Don’t be afraid. See, in my place any parent would pray that certain things go away and that their sons land on their feet. But I am not such a parent, I want you to be able to come to me for anything, your mother as well. What you do with your life is your business son, but if you ever need us we will be here for you.” 

I lay down on my side folding my legs up on the couch, grabbing one of the pillows and hugging it to my chest, pressing my nose to the pillow, I breath in papa’s scent as I feel my chest tighten then expand, allowing my tears to come and lightly spill over my cheeks and down onto the pillow. As I lay there I can almost feel my father’s hand stroking my hair, with his fingers and patting my hand gently in comfort. 

“Elio… Elio, Elio.” I felt a hand shaking me gently awake but my body had become startled and I sat up, when I looked up, I saw my mother’s loving face and soft eyes. 

“Lunch is ready.” She tells me and I drag myself off the couch, and follow my mother out of the study, resting my head on top of her head, as she wraps her around my waist, rubbing my back in slow gentle circles. 

****

Throughout the day I spent most of my time sleeping, I didn’t feel like doing much of anything. I didn’t play my music, I didn’t transcribe music, I didn’t go swimming, or lay out on the patio. When my friends wanted me to go out with them, I would lie and say that I was busy when I wasn’t at all. 

I stayed in my room, a lot of the time and I never went into the kitchen, I couldn’t even look into the room. The smell of blood was still lingering there, what they don’t tell you is after they take the body and gather the evidence, the cops leave… you are left with the mess, you are the one who has to deal with however it was before the cops came, that is what you come home to. It doesn’t matter what trauma you are going through at the time. You deal with it.

The one time that I took the chance and looked in the kitchen, I would see flashes of my father’s body, laying there on the kitchen floor bloody, eyes wide and would be able to hear his gasping. Oftentimes I would scream, stand there shaking, or burst into tears, I would feel my chest tighten, then expand and have to run from the room going right to my mother seeking her comfort and her soft voice. 

For my mother I could tell she missed my father terribly, during the small moments like when she is watching tv, spending her reading, or when she is taking a nap. I can hear her crying even though she is trying to be strong for me, and tries to hide her deep sadness. 

Mafalda doesn’t really say much as she used to when she does speak, it will only be to ask what we want for lunch, breakfast, or dinner. Other than that, she doesn’t say much at all and I can tell that she is missing papa too. 

Mafalda has been with our family ever since I was a child and my parents adored her. She was very close to both of them, she wasn’t just our housekeeper, she was family so when my father died Mafalda was completely devastated and wasn’t as vibrant as she used to be. 

For Robert, my father’s death was something that we wouldn’t speak about. He wouldn’t even talk about his fondest memories with my father, it was like my father was just a subject that we wouldn’t talk at all. It was just too painful. 

It was like this for days and days of mourning even the house seemed to be missing my papa as well. In the mornings it would be deadly quiet as if it were an empty theater. During the night however, the house would groan and moan, as it settled but the noise would keep me up at night. 

The lights would grow dim or flicker because the light bulbs needed to change, the windows would speaky, some of the doors needed to be tightened due to being loose on its hinges. The furniture would collect dust. It was like the house was mourning too, we all were and I wondered if this feeling would ever go away.   
It was on one particularly rainy day, that I was in my room putting up my clothes in my drawers, that Mafalda had just got done washing. As I was walking to the right side of my bed I ended up stepping on something sharp and I cursed under my breath, holding my foot. Sitting on the edge of my bed, I lifted my foot and inspected the bottom for any type of injury. I was sure I had stepped on a sticker, or a piece of glass from a broken bottle that was from the party but there was no indication of a hole in my foot, or even blood. 

When I glance down to see what I stepped on I see something in the carpet, and bend down picking it up from the floor. I hold it within my hand and realize that it is a necklace, more specifically a star of David and my hand flies to my neck, but it isn’t mine. I can feel mine around my neck. 

‘ If it isn’t wasn’t mine then who….’ 

I roll the golden star in my hand, staring at it within my palm I smile slightly at the memory. Oliver. The star belonged to Oliver. My thoughts drift off to him and away from my father for a moment, as I think back to that night. Before my father’s dead, before this horrible feeling of loss. It had been one of the best nights of my life. 

*Flashback* 

“I want every part of you inside of me forever.” That was the thought that went through my mind the very night Oliver first made love to me at my father’s party, up in my room high and drunk out of our minds. Of course I wanted him physically but when I had said that in my own mind what I really meant was ‘if nothing else becomes of this after this very night I want not only a physical imprint but a mental and emotional one as well. Impact me in such a way Oliver that I can never forget you. Like a memento gives me something that belongs to you so I can make it mine.’

It had fallen off of Oliver’s neck that night, landing on my stomach the metal cold against my heated skin. I don’t know what possessed me to do it, but in the heat of the moment I thought my silent prayer had been answered in one way or another. 

I grab the necklace at both ends and I roll it up my belly, on my skin so that my scent, his scent would mix together, as he takes his belt off he watches me, keeping his eyes on me almost in awe of such an act and I move his necklace up towards my mouth, part my lips, sticking my tongue out slowly I lick the star of David with the tip of my tongue back and forth, my eyes hooded with lust.

I hear an intake of breath from him and my heart races as I pull it from my mouth, it drops from my hand as he lowers himself down, I wrap my arms around his neck beckoning him closer so that our mouths are finally touching. 

I don’t remember what happened with the necklace between me having it in my mouth and then not having it any longer as I was too caught up in the beautiful moment to care where it was. 

*End of Flashback*

I sigh and fall back on my bed, I was still angry with Oliver about leaving me that night but I can’t stop the thought of what happened to him. Where was he?Where did he go after he ran from our house?He had my father’s blood on his hands that night and when I went into the police station, I didn’t see or hear from Oliver after that. 

No calls, no texts, no emails, nothing. I wanted to call him up and scream at him, to throw something at him, to let him know how much pain I was in. 

‘ I’m sorry Elio! I am so sorry!’ 

“Yeah, I bet you're sorry!” I mutter, rolling my eyes as I hold the necklace at both ends stretching it out and blowing on the star watching it swing back and forth on the chain. I let the anger roll through my body, as his face comes into my mind, dark spikey hair, the sadness, the fear clearly visible in his eyes as he looks back at me. The shakiness, in his hands and in his voice, as he had tears in his eyes. 

I throw the necklace and instantly regret it the moment I hear it smack against the wall, as my body flies off the bed, getting down on the ground, I rub the carpet hoping to get poked by one of the star's points.   
I find it curled up against the wall in a small pile between the wall and my desk. I pinch the chain with my index finger and thumb, pulling it up from the carpet, placing it back into the palm of my hand and stare at it again. 

‘ I need to give this back to him. It isn’t mine, and I am sure he is looking for it surely, this has some sort of importance to him. Just as mine does to me.’ My mind argues. 

‘You may be angry with him but a part of you is wanting to keep it. Keep it, you’ve earned a good memory, something to remind you of something positive.’ My heart counters back as I rub my thumb over the entire star. 

‘ Keep it!’

‘Give it back!’ 

‘ keep it, keep it, keep it! It’s not like you're ever going to see him again.’ 

I knew it was wrong to keep things that didn’t belong to me but, given the circumstances I wanted a good memory to outweigh the bad one of my father’s death. I wanted him with me, so I picked up his necklace and I clasped it around my neck and wore it alongside mine under my shirt. 

I don’t know when I will see Oliver again but… if there is a chance that I do see him again, then I will let him decide if he wants this piece of himself back. But until then he is a part of me and always will be. Well…. For now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for Reading! ^_^


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Little by little we rule each person out, going over each statement carefully with a fine tooth comb and so far it is a slow drawn out process that is giving me a fucking headache. We start with the family first we look into each of them and think of possible motives for them. What does each one of them have to gain?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Welcome to part 2 of If I Had A Heart it’s been awhile I know, well now it's here! Get ready for the drama and the chaos trigger warnings will possibly be thrown all over so I will warn you beforehand don’t worry. ^_^ Enjoy! 
> 
> Any mistakes made are my own.

Police station: 10:30am

Detective Murcoff

Little by little we rule each person out, going over each statement carefully with a fine tooth comb and so far it is a slow drawn out process that is giving me a fucking headache. We start with the family first we look into each of them and think of possible motives for them. What does each one of them have to gain?

Elio Perlman was a successful musician and came from wealth so what motive would he have for killing his father other than being greedy and wanting more money?

Annella Perlman the housewife, the nurturing and loving mother. Whose life with Samuel seemed that of a fairytale brought to life she clearly loved him but… she did say that her husband had an affair so that leaves her open for speculation. She could have killed him thanks to her anger for the affair it isn't unheard of it happens all the time in murder cases.

Then there was Luca the brother. There was a possible motive there too. He was a successful director trying to make it big. Who is to say that he didn't get jealous of Samuel's wealth and saw the opportunity to strike? He could have gone after his brother for money as well as not being overshadowed by his brother's success and status among the community.

Danvers and I managed to weed out a good chunk of the guests, 27 of the 50 guests, all of their stories checking out all of their stories collaborated by family members or friends when questioned. Which left us 23 of the guests including Elio, Annella, Scarlet, Luca, and the help of the Perlmans as well as one other person…  
“Hey Danvers, did we question this Oliver guy yet?” 

Danver’s looks up at me from her notepad, her desk littered with files with her pen tapping against her teeth as she switches positions in her chair. 

"I don't remember, was he there at the party?" 

"It says so here on the guest list along with all the others that we have already taken statements from. So… how could we have possibly missed this one?" 

"There were 50 guests there Murcoff there is no way that we were bound to miss a few of them. And- wait, did you say Oliver? As in Oliver Willows?" 

"Yeah? You know the guy?" I ask turning over another statement into the pile that I have already read and pick up the next one. 

"The 911 operator said that a guy by the name of Oliver Willows called in an emergency at the Perlman's residence said that he sounded very frantic and was very demanding that they get an ambulance. " 

"We need to get a hold of that recording and see if we can't get in touch with this Oliver and get his side of the story. But before we do lets dig into the mistress and see if she has anything useful to tell us. “

*******  
Santa Monica: Oliver’s childhood home

Oliver 

I am on a serious edge, every night when I go to sleep I can still see his face, hear the weakness of his breath, smell the blood, see it pooling out of his body. It is all so unnerving that I still find myself throwing up, after the nightmares. It’s hard to believe that a man of his status, his kind hearted nature, and his willingness to help others out of the goodness of his heart. Is just… gone. 

‘I could have done more to help him! Put more pressure on the wound, I could have beat those intruders senseless! Could have killed them... I should have killed them!'

The very guilt I carry about that night still haunts me and I didn’t even kill him. I could have stopped it, prevented it somehow… 

What about his mother and the rest of the staff? They have got to be devastated, I only knew Samuel for a short time, they have known him his whole life. Who would do such a thing?

In the back of my mind, I can’t help but think about Elio. How is he doing with all of this? How is he handling it? I had wanted to shoot him a text message or even call him but I was too afraid of what would happen if I did. Ever since that night with Elio I literally haven’t been the same and it is confusing the hell out of me. How? Well, for one he is constantly in my head, in my dreams taunting me with that smirk, his innocent green eyes filled with curious abandon, confident. His body is always a few inches from me in my dream, but when I reach out to touch him, he feels like he is far from me not by inches but miles. 

On the other hand I am seriously surprised that he hasn’t tried to come looking for me yet for what I did to him. I didn’t want to leave him that night, but I had no other choice in the matter if I would have stayed… the consequences for me probably would have been dire. Either I would have lost my job or my very life since the situation with Scarlet didn’t pan out too well, I have been trying to keep a low profile. 

Scarlet is trying to drag my name through the mud, a name that I am proud of, that I am trying to keep clean in order to be recognized for the good person I try to be, not because of my escorting job. She has been trying to call me but I don’t answer.

I keep my eyes on the news, every now and then just to keep up with the chaos going on, the Perlman case has been on non-stop almost every channel I have flipped through and I want to throw up when they start showing the Perlman's house. I can never go back into that house not after what happened there but I can't imagine what it must be like for Elio having to be there. 

“You need to get away from here Oliver, you need to run, don't worry about the cops. I will take care of things from the inside and see what I can do to help you out. But you need to leave Seattle tonight and don’t come back here until I say it is okay or something goes wrong. I know that I am risking my career by helping you but at this point I don’t care, you are like family to me and I believe you. “

Carter was the one that told me to come to Santa Monica. The one place that I can come back to and just breathe, to relax, take in the smell of the ocean, the sound of the waves crashing on the shore, the beach, being able to enjoy the beautiful view of the sunset every evening when the colors are a mix of tangerine, pink, light purple hues mixed with the light blue and wake up to that same view everyday for the rest of your life. Yeah, this is my safe haven, I grew up here. But i don't really see how he can help me. 

I decided to come back to Santa Monica to try and make sense of what happened but right now, nothing makes any sense at all. 

How could I get myself mixed up in all of this shit to begin with?! What in the hell was I thinking?! 

‘You were there to do your job and that is what you did. It just ended not how you were hoping it would have ended.” 

I sigh staring out at the ocean, watching the waves soothingly move along the sand, forearms crossed on the railing, bent forward, thumping the ashes off of my cigarette when I heard the faint sounds of knocking coming from my front door. I wasn’t expecting any company that I am aware of, I had settled by telling my boss what was going on, as well as a couple of my closest friends where I was going to be and if they needed me to call. But that was about it so the fact that someone was knocking made me nervous, more than I was when I was a teenager having my first time. 

My mind raced as I took a really big drag off of the cigarette and I scrubbed it out on the railing, dropping it into the sand below me. I honestly thought it would be the cops, coming to tell me that they needed to interview me because someone must have given my name to them. I was there at that party after all, so why wouldn’t they. 

The faint knocks become hesitate taps as I make my way through the living room and past the kitchen, down the hallway to the front door. 

“Alright, I’m coming, you don’t gotta break down the door.” I roll my eyes in annoyance and proceed to unlock the door with a series of clacks and I open the door. 

To my complete surprise it isn’t who I was expecting at all! It wasn’t the cops, it wasn’t Scarlet coming to obliterate me, it was…..

“Elio! Wha….” Before I can even finish the sentence Elio puts his hand on my chest and barges his way into the house slamming the door behind him. 

The minute he drops his hand I look at him with the ‘what the hell?’ stare and demand to know what is going on, he is pacing back and forth almost completely frantic, his eyes darting every which way and he is stuttering through what he is trying to say due to talking extremely fast. 

“How about nice to see you Elio, I didn’t mean to leave you alone with your father bleeding out all over my mother’s thousand dollar carpet that she got from parue!” The sarcasm drips from his mouth like venom, as he shoves his way into the house without so much as a ‘may i please come in’. Forcing me to take a few steps back so that I am almost hitting the wall. 

'he is pissed'

He is dressed differently compared to the suits that I saw him wearing the first time I saw him and at the party. He is wearing a white and blue polo striped shirt, with jeans and sneakers, black Ray-bans italian design that look like they are from the fifties, and are hanging on the front of his shirt. 

‘Is there anything that this man wears that he doesn’t look good in it? Okay, enough! He is not here for you to gawk at he is pissed off at you! Now is not the time! Very inappropriate.’ 

“Elio about that…” I begin as I shut the door behind me, following him as he continues to rant and rave on a mile a minute and his words coming together in a giant string, his hands moving around as he talks. 

He whips around on his heels and his finger comes into direct contact with my chest, jabbing me with it hard. His eyes are furious, his mouth twisted in a hard line, his eyebrows narrowed. I’m pretty sure he is wishing that it was me that died instead of his father, most people would think this if they found their loved one dead. I don’t blame him at all for thinking this way, but I need to speak my defense. He has to know the truth. 

“Elio-” I try again. 

“You left me alone with my father dying right there in front of me!!!! Who… what kind of person are you? Oliver, why would you do that?! Do you have any idea how fucking scared I was?! I had to watch my mother cry and Mafalda nearly fainted. I was put in an interrogation room for hours trying to explain what happened and why there was blood on my hands! And you just…. I can’t even begin to-” 

“If you would let me speak then I can explain everything to you.” I say in a calm soothing voice, I don’t want him to start breaking things in my house. I know what I did was wrong to leave him like that but he needs to understand that I did everything I could to help Samuel, despite what my actions made to seem like to his eyes.

I see his face change in expression and I watch him, give a look of ‘explain yourself’ in his eyes, giving a audible huff he turns away from me and goes to sit down on the couch, plopping himself on it his body is bending forward, he rests his right elbow on his knee, his chin resting on his open palm. 

“Well… get on with it Oliver!” he spat. I was pretty sure he had every intention of hitting me right then and there. But he didn’t. 

“First off, let me just say that I did everything in my power to help your dad. Okay, just…. Let me start from the beginning. After you had fallen asleep, I woke up with the intention of leaving to go back home as I did, before you asked me to get back in the bed with you. I was on my way out, when I heard your father yelling at someone and I went to investigate, your dad was in a struggle with a group of people in black, I couldn’t see who the people were all I know is that there were five of them and they had weapons on them. So I decided to rush the intruders and help your dad. I had managed to get at least two of them away, I was throwing punches and trying to get the weapons away from them and by the time I grabbed a bat from one of them, I heard your father yelling and then the others scattered, the intruder with the knife shoved your father towards me. I quickly turned around to catch him. He had his hand around his neck, and he fell forward into me, he was shaking, there was so much blood, some of it got on my shirt when I helped him down into the floor then….”

I had to stop and collect myself. I could already feel the tears starting to sting my eyes, I took a deep breath and stood there running my hand over my eyes. Before dropping it with a soft sniff I continue with my side of the story. 

“He was staring at me the entire time, his hand was clutching my shirt, he was trying to say something to me but I couldn’t make out what it was. I was holding onto his throat, trying desperately to stop the blood, as I did I grabbed my phone and I called 9-1-1 told them the address. After that.. Well, you know because that is how you found me afterwards, I swear to god Elio I didn’t kill your father.You have to know that.” 

I watch Elio’s mind work out what I just told him, trying to process the information before he opened his mouth and let out a sad sigh, he pinches the bridge of his nose and shakes his head. 

“How do I know that for sure? You could have had time to do the deed when you were away from me and as for Scarlet... “ he doesn’t finish the sentence, he just gets up and shakes his head.

I scoff in disbelief. 

‘How could you even believe such a thing! Elio come on you are smarter than this! You know I didn’t do this! You aren’t that stupid so why are you…’

“Elio what in the hell would I have to gain from killing your father other than money? Which would be pointless because I make my own money for one, and two, he has been nothing but loving towards me he fucking helped me move into an apartment when I first came to Seattle! When I was a stranger to him! I loved your dad Elio! Why the fuck?!!! If that was the case if I actually wanted to kill your father, do you honestly think that I would have told you to keep your hand on his neck to stop the bleeding?! Would I have literally put myself in harm's way of being killed myself if all I wanted was your dad’s money? Do you really think that low of me?!”

“You could have wanted more money.” he sighs in frustration. “Look, I don’t know okay! All I want is to know who killed my father and why the fuck you left me! I can’t think straight because of all of this shit! And seeing you now I don’t know whether I want to hit you or kiss you! All I know is that you left me and I hate you for it! I was scared to death and I had to watch my father die right in front of me! That type of shit is bound to mess anyone up now will you please tell me what I need to know so I can go!” 

There is a big silence between us then the tension that is there is so choking, filling the room with a suffocating air that makes it hard for me to breathe. I need to put some distance between me and him before I do something irrational. 

“Are you hungry?” 

“What?” He gives me a weird look and I repeat myself this time, my voice is softer compared to what it was two minutes ago. I was irritated by Elio’s accusation but I wasn’t going to let him leave my house without at least getting all of the information that he wanted and I was certainly not going to tell him on an empty stomach. 

“Do you want something to eat? I was going to get some take out for dinner and I wasn’t really expecting company, but since you are here, I can get you something too if you like.” 

“Um…” he hesitates clearly not expecting me to say that I’m sure he was expecting me to go off on him again. Or kicking him out of my house. Even after he accused me of doing such a horrible thing to his father, I wouldn’t want me in the house if the roles were reversed. But I am not such a cruel person, innocent until proven guilty right? Besides, he did come all this way so who was I to throw him out now. “Sure that would be great.” 

I made my way over to the kitchen to my cell phone and was about to dial the number to a local taco place that was open 24/7 that was just on the pier when a thought occurred to me. I had no idea how Elio found me nor did I know how he got here.

“Elio, how did you know where I live? And how did you get here exactly?” I asked, setting the phone down on the counter, leaning my side against it, I looked at Elio with curiosity, my eyebrow raised, my mouth set in a calm line, sort of a resting bitch face as they call it. 

Elio shuffles his feet, the familiar turn up of his lips as he chews the corner, the shift of the eyes as they look away from me, the soft swaying and his hand rubbing the back of his head. He is nervous. I saw this in him the night we slept together. 

“I looked you up on google, I uh, looked at your social media.” he says softly almost inaudible to my ears, his eyes shifting to the left this time. Shy Elio comes to the surface of his face and I blink at him in surprise. 

“You looked at my social media?” 

I repeated his words slowly, trying to search for what? I didn’t know but by the way he was looking at me he seemed very shy about getting caught? Ashamed even. It would seem the very idea of me knowing about him looking at something so personal of mine, made him feel like an intruder and invader of such privacy. 

‘Okay that answers that question’ 

“I got curious and I was wanting to contact you to ask you questions about my dad. So I had to find out the address and it just so happened to be on your social media.”

“Which one did you look at?” I couldn’t help the nosiness in my voice. “I have two of them, my personal one and the other is one I use for work only, the one for work is monitored by my boss for reasons.” 

I pick up the phone and dial the taco place, I place the order then asks Elio if he wanted anything else. He mouths the words “nah I’m good.” and I proceed to give them my name for the order then hang up, setting the phone back on the counter. 

"I looked at your work one. I wasn't sure what I would find on your personal one, and I didn't want to invade the privacy of a stranger." 

“The food will be ready in 15 minutes in the meantime, you can tell me exactly how you go here.” 

“Technically you and I aren’t necessary strangers anymore now are we?” I throw a playful verbal joust at him and he rolls his eyes at me. 

I make my way over to the L shaped couch on the right side of the room closest to the wall and rest my back against it. I set my feet flat on the floor and put my arms behind my head, my eyes looking Elio up and down, he continued to stand there until I motioned for him to sit down again. 

Another pause and then…

“I wanted to see you again.” he confesses to me as he walks over to the other chair and sits down, his hands in his lap. “I needed to know about my father, I needed to know why you disappeared…” 

He looks at me with his hazel eyes from underneath his eyelashes, and I give a nod of my head. Telling him to keep going.

"So I decided to look up your address and hopped on a plane for 17 hours, in the hope that you would be able to give me some answers. Answers that the cops aren't giving me. But from what you just told me, it looks like I am no better off now than I was." 

I sigh sadly my eyes soften a bit as well as my expression. I feel terrible for this guy, all he wants is to find his father's killer and the cops are playing ring around the rosey with him. Like he is some child that doesn't understand what's going on and rather than give him straight answers they are saying the same thing as they do on the damn news.

No leads. Multiple people to interview these things take time, and lots of money to use the resources they have to catch the perps. Months even years and then some, even unsolved mysteries. 

"You know what you did was seriously wreckless and stupid right? Does your mother even know where you are? Did you tell her?" 

I comment, turning my body to face him, my cheek on my palm. I watch him flush with embarrassment then frown at me even like this, he still affects me emotionally in a good way, a way that I should not be feeling for him. 

A sheepish look, the nervous movement of his leg, the biting of his lip again. 

“Elio.” I say sternly though cautiously my eyes turn worried in an instant. “She doesn’t know you’re here does she? Fuck! Elio, you need to call her right now, are you out of your mind!”

“I’m twenty-four years old Oliver I am not seventeen!” he snaps at me crossing his arms over his chest, his head up in defiance, his lips set in a grim line. Oh how very teenager of him to do this. 

“Your father was murdered dude and they haven’t caught the actual killer or killers if there is more than one! And you just decide to come seek me out for an answer, a guy you barely even know! Who you hooked up with at your father’s party who tried to save him and you want to argue about how old you are! Elio, your mother is probably worried sick to death with worry about where you are! You get your ass into that kitchen and you call her! Right. Now! It’s bad enough my reputation is being thrown around like a rag doll thanks to Scarlet Lee, I don’t need kidnapper added to that!”

“Would you relax! I didn’t tell her because if she knew that I was coming to see you, she would have never let me come. That’s why I didn’t tell her where I was going, it's because she is dealing with too much right now. The news reporters have been camping out at the house every since the murder, and are basically breathing down our necks for a story. I needed to get away from there and breathe! Do you know how tiring it is when they ask, “Mr. Perlman are you a suspect? Or asking for every gruesome detail they can get their hands on of how the murder happened. It’s disgusting! So excuse me, for wanting to go somewhere else and wanting to come to you, so if I am an inconvenience for you I can always find a hotel around here, and go back in the morning so you don’t even have to see-”

“you're not going anywhere. At least not tonight, you're already here and I would feel like an asshole for making you leave. So if you want you can sleep here and in the morning you can go back if you want. But I am telling you staying with me is not a good idea at all.” 

“Wha.. why?” he asks his words sound of that of a whiny teenager wondering why they can’t have their first taste of alcohol. 

Thankfully I was saved by the ringing of the doorbell and I got up to go see it was probably the food, yet I was still careful about looking through the peephole first, unlike when Elio had first knocked on my door and I had just opened it without a second thought. Not smart at all. 

I pull my wallet out of my back pocket and pull out a few bills, give it to the delivery woman then she leaves and I shut the door, taking the food into the kitchen. I set the bags on the counter and begin to dig out the contents, setting Elio’s food out first then digging for mine as I hear his soft steps behind me. 

“Why is staying with you a bad thing?” he comes to stand beside the counter as I make the plates clatter around as I take two of them down and set them aside, then grab two glasses from the cabinet above my head. 

Elio puts the food on our plates as I grab one of those large smart water bottles that is filled with wine and pour it into each of our glasses, the soft glugging noise eases my mind. It’s a very relaxing sound as I prepare myself for the conversation at hand, the very conversation that can have me literally killed if anyone knew what I was about to tell Elio. 

We take our food and the drinks into the living room, setting everything down. We get onto the floor with our backs against the couch. Our legs stretched out both of us in the same position, as I grab my glass from the table I take the first of what is going to be many sips later. My stomach is in knots. 

“What I am about to tell you Elio, is something that you can not tell anyone else. I mean no one, do you understand? I am not even supposed to be telling even you this… but since you want to know I am going to tell you.”  
“Okay…. Oliver you are officially scaring me now.” I hear the delicious crunch as Elio bites into his first taco and begins to chew it slowly, my eyes focus on his eyes for a moment. 

Another sip. 

“Scarlet Lee Dominguez or Scarlet as you met her that night at the party. Is known as the princess of the Nile for her beauty, and sex appeal however, what looks good on the outside is not the way she is on the inside. She is a very dangerous woman, her family is into the cartel business, more specifically she is a part of Sinaloa one of the biggest cartels… one of the main ones running out of Mexico right now. They are a very dangerous group known for drug trafficking, killing innocent people, and human trafficking. When I first moved to Seattle I was working in a coffee shop and met a man by the name of Christopher Diez, he gave me a proposition about becoming an escort. Said that I could make lots of money doing it for my looks and my build, I declined at first because how was I to know what I was getting myself into…” 

I hear another crunch from Elio his eyes intently on mine as he listens and eats at the same time. I on the other hand have yet to touch my food. My appetite is slowly going away, just thinking about this very subject meanwhile Elio doesn’t seem to be bothered by my story until I had this to say...

“Anyway, I thought about it and went back and forth with myself for days, even weeks, thinking about what I was going to do. I wanted to make sure it was going to be worth it and to my surprise, I went back to Christopher and said yes. However, I didn’t know that by joining the escort business I was going to be involved with the Dominguez family let alone Scarlet. Scarlet and I had an agreement, that she would be one of my regulars, without question I was forced into a “relationship” with her she would pay me to keep their little drug running a secret and anything I saw behind the scenes a secret, while they used me as a cover if the cops ever came sniffing around.

Elio nearly chokes on his wine. “she and you were….” he makes a face of disgust and I can’t help but crack up at his attempt at subtlety but failing miserably. His eyes widen in surprise and I watch his mouth gape open as he stares at me. 

“You are in a relationship with her and you and I slept together!!!!! Oh my god! I’m…. we….” he stutters and I shake my head grabbing my wine glass. I take a much bigger drink this time, feeling the cold wine touch my ribs as it goes down into my stomach.

“Elio, we did nothing wrong as far as you and I are concerned. I wanted to have sex with you and you wanted to have sex with me, we are both consenting adults, and I get tested every week on a regular basis and I have stayed clean. Grant it we had too much to drink and were high as fuck when we did. You paid me to hang out with you and that is something that I don’t ever, and will never regret for as long as I am alive. I had the most fun with you that I have ever had with anyone. However, where you father is concerned that is why I ran away that night, why I left you with your father and basically went mia for awhile. If the cops find out the connection between me and Scarlet I am in serious trouble, they will kill me if they find out that I spoke to the cops.”

Elio by the point is speechless but the way he is looking at me right now, makes me believe that he finally believes that I didn’t kill his father. 

I watched his face and I wish I knew what he was thinking at that moment. His eyes held so many emotions at once that I couldn’t pinpoint just one specific one without running into another. I know he is processing the story that I just told him and that he wants to believe me, but how can he without physical proof.

To be continued.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	20. The Answers Lie Within The Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The night continues with Elio’s pov ^^ sorry if this chapter is so short I just wanted to get it out there as fast as possible since i've kept you guys waiting so long. Hope you like it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure what I can say about this...

Elio

I will admit when I first arrived at Oliver’s house I was very livid and angry with him, the wounds were still fresh of my father’s death. But as I sat there listening to him talk about Scarlet, the drug cartel and what happened that night, he really put what happened into perspective for me. I just couldn’t tell if he was innocent or not, it was hard my mind was muddled with so many scenarios after being at the station for hours on being drilled by the detectives for whatever they were trying to get me to say. I was so confused.

I was a suspect to the cops because they always look at the family first, then to make matters worse my father’s blood was on my hands too. So I had explained to the cops that I was with friends the whole night dancing, that I had way too much to drink, and that I ended up going to bed at 2:45 am. I then told them that one of the paramedics did see me with my father, hugging him close to me that they had to tug me off of him. 

I sat there quietly for a minute or two trying to let everything sink in and when I look at him again he is finally eating. 

There were so many questions I wanted to ask him but I was afraid if I pestered him too much, he wouldn't talk to me anymore. 

So I settle for changing the subject for now and ask him about being a writer and I see a fond smile come over his face. 

“When I was a kid, my bubbie used to sit around and write all of these silly made up stories in her office. I would go to visit with her while my parents were away either on a date or while my father was on business. I would sit in the living room and watch cartoons, and while I was doing that bubbie(grandmother) would clack away on her typewriter she loved to use, it was so loud I could hear it from the next room. Then afterwards, before bedtime she would read me the story that she typed out.”

I pour some more wine into Oliver’s glass when I interrupt briefly to ask if he wanted more to drink. He nods and continues with the story as I fill his glass with the appropriate amount. Then set the bottle down on the table in front of us, shifting into a more comfortable position with my legs bent, I rest my head on the cushion of the couch. 

“That is sort of our thing, ya know? Her typing all the crazy stories about a doughnut tree, some story about Porky pig that I can’t remember what happened, and other insane stuff like that. So it was my bubbie that truly got me into being a writer, she inspired me so much as a child, that I am dedicating this book that I am currently writing to her.”

I smile the way he talked about his grandmother in the way, you would speak about a friend that left you as a teenager. For you to reunite with them as adults and have nothing change between them. It was sort of like the relationship that I had with my own parents, but with a few minor things. 

“What’s the book about?” I let the tip of my finger idly move over the glass sweeping back and forth, as it was already starting to sweat, the condensation dripping down my skin. He looks at me and smiles with a knowing smile that he gave me that night we were together, but the words that come out of his mouth were as I didn’t expect, in fact it surprised me. 

“I’m not going to tell you.” 

“You’re not going to tell me?” I murmured with an amused look in my eyes that said, ‘you will have sex with me and tell me about the most dangerous cartel in the world but you won’t tell me, what your book is about how rude of you. How childish.’ 

I watch him come close to me just a mere centimeter from my face and I hold my breath, as I stare at him. 

Even angry with him I could still feel this feeling between us. It made me nervous, scared even but I didn’t pull away. I wanted to be close to him, if he would let me, if he would let himself. There was something about him that made my skin prickle every time I was near him, the urge to want to touch him. 

“You can read it.” he said, pulling back just when I thought he was going to kiss me. “You can read it when it comes out with everyone else, but until then I am sort of stuck in a state of writer's block. That I can’t seem to get out of and I don’t know what will help to undo it. Not that it’s going to matter now… I might as well sign my death warrant now and get it over with Scarlet is going to ruin me before I ever even get off the ground anyway.” 

He sighs in a sort of defeat resting his back against the cushion of the couch, his forehead wrinkling, his face turned into a scowl of what looked to be concentration. 

“If you would tell me what it’s about maybe, I can help get you unstuck.” I was trying very hard to be persuasive, trying to steal a page out of his book, so to speak. Anything to get him to tell me what he was writing about, I wanted to know for the sake of wondering if the very thing he was writing about was me. 

He rolls his head from right to left slowly in an exaggeration of an eye roll and his eyes fall on me again. This time softer, a playfulness in them that made my heart beat a little faster. 

“If I tell you what the genre it is will you stop pestering me about it?” 

I take a big gulp of wine finishing it off completely, setting my glass down with a soft tap. “Yes.” it comes out as a whisper which I had not intended to do that but as it were he chuckles. 

“I couldn’t make up my mind on whether or not it should have been a crime novel or a romance novel. So.. It decided to put them together so to speak and have my characters fall in love with each other. If you were to put a genre to it I would assume it would be a crime drama with romantic undertones to it.” 

Interesting.

“It sounds like a very interesting story, what are the characters like?” I press gentle and he shakes his head softly, raising his eyebrows at me. 

“Nope. I know what you are doing,” he bumps me with his shoulder, a soft laugh in his voice, “And I am not falling for that so you might as well stop asking so many questions.” 

“What am I doing!” I frain innocence, trying to give nothing away and yet, letting some of my resolve slip I want to know, I genuinely want to help him. I wasn’t a writer by any means, no. I was a writer of music not words, not the words that could convey the type of emotions that I would feel and certainly not with him, let alone to him.  
I watched him get up then, and that effectively ended our conversation. Put a pin in it as they would say, we would converse about it later. Later… if not now when Oliver? I still had questions about my father, about this book he was supposedly writing, so many questions not enough answers. 

“Hey, goose don’t just sit there, come help with the dishes. You eat with me, you help clean up.” 

“You eat with me, you help clean up.” I mocked him playfully as I got up from the floor, he had his back to me and was carrying his plate and his glass to the kitchen, as I followed suit.

“You say something?” he asked, glancing over his shoulder at me, eyeing through his peripheral version though he doesn’t stop walking. 

“No.” I say rather too quickly for someone that was supposed to mean what he said. My cheeks are heating up with embarrassment of being caught trying to give him sass. 

After dinner, I was feeling very sleepy, my stomach poking out just a little, though not big enough to hurt. I rub my eyes, with the backs of my hands and give a yawn, shifting on the couch. My head gently nods as I start nodding off, I want to keep my eyes open but I am too comfortable to move and I'm losing a battle that I can't win. The flight plus the good food has finally caught up with me.

I feel Oliver gently move me down the couch, so that I am laying more comfortably on my back and then I feel a soft, warm, plush blanket being draped over me, a pillow under my head. Soon I find myself drifting fully off to sleep. 

***

“Hold on papa, just hold on, help is coming! They are going to help, just don’t try to talk, it will make things worse. Fuck! There is so much blood!”

I can smell the metallic coppery scent all around me. It's in the air and it is strong, it’s getting all over my hands as I hold my father close to me. 

*gasp* *gasp* *gasp*  
*gasp* *gasp* *gasp*

“Papa! papa! non non Non! tout ira bien. Tu vas bien, ça va aller. Papa! ne me laisse pas s'il te plait! maman a besoin de toi! papa! Papa! Papa! “ 

‘ what do I do! What do I do! I need to help him!’

“Elio! Elio, look at me. Hey, look at me.” His voice is calm.

‘Oliver?’

“Oliver. I c…. *gasp* c..an’t breath what’s going on?” my voice is different, my heart feels like it is going to jump out of my chest, I look down at my hands, the blood is gone but there are drops of water on them. I’m sweating. 

‘Why can’t I stop shaking?’ 

“I need you to breathe for me. Can you do that? Breath with me, Elio you are having a panic attack.”

‘ panic attack? I have never had a panic attack in my life, what brought this on? I was dreaming about papa and then… oh no! Papa!’

I try to scramble to my feet, throwing the blanket off of me and trying to stand up but I begin to feel dizzy and I sway a bit, I nearly fall backwards and I would have hit the table if it hadn’t been for Oliver catching me by my elbow. 

“Woah, woah, hey! No, Elio, you need to sit down and stay put. I don’t want you hurting yourself. Tell me what you need and I will go get it for you.” he stops me and gently eases me down back on the couch, then releases me completely.

“I n… I need to call my papa Oliver. I need to see if he is okay. I need to call him, I need to hear his voice Oliver! Please!”

Oliver 

It was Elio’s screaming that woke me up and I nearly tripped over my shoes as I practically ran on air to get to him. I threw the door open so fast that it banged against the wall I thought I broke it off the hinges. I don’t think my feet have ever moved so fast in all my life, I can literally hear them slapping against the flooring that would put even the biggest of elephants to shame. 

When I run to the living room I can see Elio sitting up, he is shaking, in tears and saying the word “papa” over and over, as he gasps for a breath. He was freaking out and for a moment, I thought he was just crying but when I got closer I realized that he was in a full on panic attack. 

“Elio! Elio, look at me. Hey, look at me.” 

I keep my voice calm and even when I am talking to him almost as if I am speaking to a child, I don’t touch him. It’s a bad idea to touch someone without their permission during a panic attack, it could scare them further than what they are and also confuse the person further. Keeping calm is the most important thing right now. 

When his eyes meet mine. “Oliver. I c…. *gasp* c..an’t breath what’s going on?” he looks so terrified with those wide eyes, the tears, his mouth open, his chest heaving as he gasps for a breath. He looks scary, similar to the way Samuel looked at me, when he was lying on the floor. 

I shake my head. ‘Don’t go there. That is not going to help either of you if you go there.’ 

“I need you to breathe for me. Can you do that? Breath with me, Elio you are having a panic attack.”

I watch something flash across his face and he proceeds to remove the blanket from his body, and try to get up which he succeeds but when he tries to walk, he sways on his left foot and goes back, his arms windmilling back to front thankfully I catch him by the elbow before he goes crashing through the glass table. 

“Woah, woah, hey! No, Elio, you need to sit down and stay put. I don’t want you hurting yourself. Tell me what you need and I will go get it for you.” 

His next words are like a deep stab to my chest and I feel the worst empty feeling of my life, in that moment I wanted to cry myself. It’s like being punched in the chest, a sharp pain radiates through me, invisible yet, I can feel the effects of the hit itself deep within my heart. 

“I n… I need to call my papa Oliver. I need to see if he is okay. I need to call him, I need to hear his voice Oliver! Please!” he beseeches me trying to get up again and once again, I stop him in his tracks. 

“Elio, what you are feeling right now is very scary but you aren’t in danger. Now, stay in the present and concentrate on your breathing alright, I want you to breathe with me.” 

He watches me take a deep breath then I start counting slowly to ten which he repeats after me and I watch his chest move as it fills and empties with air. Nice and slow. He takes a shuttered breath in and exhales it out, and I praise him for his efforts.

“Good job Elio. Alright, ready to do another one?” 

“In. Out. In. out. Well done, I’m proud of you.” 

We do this together until he is able to calm himself and his demeanor has completely relaxed but his face is deeply saddened, his eyebrows are furrowed, his lips quivering his arms wrap around himself. I don’t move from my position and just look down at him. 

“Do you want me to get you some water?” 

He doesn’t move or speak, he just remains silent, his curls now hiding his eyes from me, he still is shaking but it isn’t as bad as before. His arms are tightly wrapped around himself, and I hear him sniffing here and there. The realization hitting him once again, that his papa is gone. 

“Elio? I’m gonna go get you some water, I’ll be right back okay.”

I barely start to move when he clasps his arms around my waist, locking them tightly around me. I hear him inhale sharply and then I hear him sobbing. 

“Don’t leave me! Please don’t leave. Please, I need you. Oliver, don’t leave me.” 

His broken voice and his soft cries are what break my heart. He sounds so vulnerable, compared to the first time he asked me to stay. His very voice cracking as he holds tightly to me, I can feel his warm tears on my skin, his breath on my stomach, his very fingers tightening. He may just leave fingerprints on the very surface but I don’t care, I shift my weight and go down slowly onto the couch with him.

“Put your back against the couch and scoot as far back as you can.” I instruct him gently and he finally lets me go, doing as I tell him, he lays down on his left side facing me and I quietly follow, getting onto the couch, I position myself onto my right side, facing him. 

I move forward, I take his arms and hook them around my torso again as I wrap my right hand gently at the back of his neck and my left hand moves up and down his back. While my legs tangle gently with his and his feet touch mine. I hug him to me and when I do I feel my heartbeat begin to beat slightly faster, I take a deep breath and let my breathing match his breathing. 

‘I should not be doing this. I should not be getting this close to him.’

I keep him tightly to me in a protective manner, my lips gently press to his forehead and I close my eyes. “Do you want to talk about it?” I ask my tone softly as I move my left hand to fix the blanket so that it is covering both of us then wrap my arm back around him. 

He shakes his head no and again he says, "Don't leave me." 

"It's alright. I'm here and I have no place to go Elio than to be right here with you. You are safe, nothing is going to harm you, just relax I'm not going anywhere." 

'What the fuck are you thinking Oliver. Don't make promises you can't keep to this boy, you can't stay with him. No matter how he makes you feel…' 

Since that night, I have been questioning everything and the way that I have been living my life thus far. The money from being an escort is good, yes, but the cost of what I had happened that night keeps playing in my mind as a reminder that I am the one that caused this. My one simple action of wanting to be happy caused someone to get killed and at the expense of an entire family now broken apart.  
‘I have to fix this, I have to make this right. Not just for myself, but for Elio and his family as well. I have to go back to Seattle as much as I would love to stay here and be done with all of this. Pretend that it didn’t happen…’

I feel Elio lift his head and mumble the words ”I’m sorry.” as he pulls back from me, I watch him carefully, his face red, wet from tears, his nose pink, long dark eyelashes, lightly sweep his eyes as he blinks at me. Almost expectantly, waiting for a responds to which I say, 

“It’s okay.” 

I curl my fingers into his wet curls, pulling his head down gently into my shoulder, he nuzzles me, wanting to get even closer, his lips brushing against my neck. His lips pressing there kissing my skin, I feel a light shudder go through my body as I continue to rub his back. 

“Elio… no I am not doing this with you.” I say apologetically soft when he lifts his head again, he looks up at me through his eyelashes and for a second I stop breathing. When that soft innocent tone comes out of that sweet mouth again. 

“Why? I want this.” 

“You just had a panic attack and are upset about your father’s death, I am not comfortable with the situation at all. If you want me to hold you then I will hold you, if you want me to stay and sleep with you then I will do that too. I am not going to have sex with you Elio. It’s not that I don’t want to, that much is very obvious but we need to work some things out and fix this mess with your dad first. Before, you know… and we are both vulnerable right now so why don’t we get some sleep and we can talk in the morning about everything.” 

My answer seems to suffice for tonight as I continue to watch him, he runs his right hand up and down my back. 

I don’t take my eyes off of him until I know for certain that he is okay and then I am drifting off back to sleep. With nothing but the sound of our breathing together lul me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well what do you guys think? I will admit I was nervous throwing this out there at first feeling very unsure about it for so many reasons but then I thought eh what the hell and went for it XD
> 
> Also you guys are going to get your fill of nothing but Elio and Oliver shenanigans for the next few chapters so hope you guys will be happy. Then it will go back to the cops and everyone else these guys pretty much took over the story and are telling it their way so.... yeah!


	21. Breath You In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Focus on the simple breathing. I run down the shore line along the beach, my bare feet hitting the sand at a jogging speed, not too fast and not too slow, leaving my mark on the softness of it as I chase after the slowly rising sun. the very waves a calm, gentleness that brings me comfort during this insane time. But even now, my mind isn’t at peace with itself and it won’t be for a very long time, I am still trying to figure out how I can get myself out of this mess. Away from Scarlet, away from the cartel without any repercussions of my actions hurting not only myself but hurting Elio further than what I have already. 
> 
> That night will forever be imprinted in my mind for as long as I live there is no getting rid of it, there is no letting go and the more it grips ahold of me the harder it gets. I want Elio to trust me but at the same time I am horrified by what is going on within my own heart. How do you get someone to trust you when they believe you killed someone that they loved?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let the funny shit begin! Okay when i was writing this I couldn't stop laughing. Thank you to my muse and best friend for your never ending ability to pull me out of writers block I love you! <3 
> 
> *trigger warning* 
> 
> Elio and Oliver get high and pretty much do stupid shit XD

Summary: Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Focus on the simple breathing. I run down the shore line along the beach, my bare feet hitting the sand at a jogging speed, not too fast and not too slow, leaving my mark on the softness of it as I chase after the slowly rising sun. the very waves a calm, gentleness that brings me comfort during this insane time. But even now, my mind isn’t at peace with itself and it won’t be for a very long time, I am still trying to figure out how I can get myself out of this mess. Away from Scarlet, away from the cartel without any repercussions of my actions hurting not only myself but hurting Elio further than what I have already. 

That night will forever be imprinted in my mind for as long as I live there is no getting rid of it, there is no letting go and the more it grips ahold of me the harder it gets. I want Elio to trust me but at the same time I am horrified by what is going on within my own heart. How do you get someone to trust you when they believe you killed someone that they loved?

This is not what I wanted for my life not at all and yet here I am being accused of murder, and stuck with what happened last night between me and Elio. He doesn’t trust me and he is weary of what I confessed to him, all the while he is still mourning his father as he should be. Yet, at the same time, he let me… allowed me to comfort him, that’s a start isn’t it? To let him know that I am here for him, even if he thinks otherwise. 

‘Time is what he needs Oliver, give the man time, give yourself time. Forgive yourself it wasn’t your fault.’ my heart says, ‘be gentle with yourself, let go of the anger.’ 

By this point, I’ve run past the giant ferris wheel on the pier and I stop to allow myself to catch my breath as I do, I feel something break inside of my chest and the moment it happens, I can taste the salt of my very own tears as they flow from my eyes. I don’t know if I am crying for myself, this fucked up situation presented to me, for Elio, his family or Samuel himself who if he were here, would tell me it will be okay in the end. How? How is any of this okay!!!! It’s not! The stress of it all, the emotions swelling and building up inside of me, they finally bubble over, unable to take much more of the thoughts plaguing my restless mind and broken heart. 

“Sammy you left too soon, your son needs you.” I say softly out into the air, letting my voice be carried by it away from here, out across the ocean, letting it drift into the sky, hoping that in some way somehow, Samuel will hear me. “I need your help Sammy, tell me what to do! I am so confused, lost how in the fuck did I get here? All I wanted to do was be a writer… help me please, give me some kind of way to help your son. Help give your wife peace and comfort, help them and help me clear my name.” 

A breeze sweeps in as I stand there and for a second I can almost hear his soothing voice as he laughs. “Oliver, Oliver, Oliver. We rip out so much of ourselves to be cured of things faster. “ he said to me once, when I was going through something with a client at the time, who desperately wanted me to be her boyfriend. But I told her no. “and have less to offer each time we start with someone new that we go bankrupt by the age of thirty.” I took the last part as a joke since I am 32 but now that I am put in this situation it seemed to make sense. Here I was, running from the problem, the fear of everything that was happening, the murder, the cartel, Scarlet, the beginning stages of what I would hope to be a friendship with Elio. I was forcing myself to be “bankrupt” as he put it when I didn’t have to be and for what something that had happened out of my control. Preventable? Yes. but still out of my control.   
“Oliver!” I hear my name again and this time when I snap out of my thoughts I see a figure running towards me. 

(notes: The title of the chapter comes from the song “Breathe You In” by Stabbing Westward I chose this song not just because I like it, but because it seemed fitting with Oliver’s mind at the moment and the fact that they do get high together to this song. To me the song is a sort of metaphor for Oliver to not only to physically breathe in the smoke from the physical smoke of the cigarette but, to emotionally and mentally just breathe Elio in and relax his thoughts, his heart and physical being from all the shit going on around them right now. Dedicated to my best friend Shelby who shared the brilliant thought with me in the first place! Thank you for being my thought bouncer love you! <3 XD)

Oliver 

My body begins to automatically stir as it usually does around this time 6:26am. It never fails. It's like my body knows when it is time to get up, and run. At first, I protest by keeping my eyes closed, trying to get my mind to comprehend that there is a warm body that is next to me. Soft. warm and clingy like a vine.   
When I slowly open my eyes, the first thing I see is dark curls, nuzzled under my chin, I smell the scent of Chamomile shampoo with a hint of laundry detergent mixed with sweat, I hear a soft yet soothing sigh fill my ears, and taste peaches even though I haven’t tasted any in a year. 

My arms come into contact with something that fully wakes me up, causes me to lift my head but not by much. 

Elio is wrapped around me just as I said like a vine, smooth fleshy vine arms tangled around me, his legs all contorted around me, somehow he has managed to switch positions in the middle of the night and is now directly on top of me. Every part of him is lined up with me, a mirror image of the way that I am laying right now. 

‘This feels so nice I wish I could stay here and just snuggle with him for the rest of the morning.’

As lovely as that sounds we still need to talk about yesterday, we need to talk about everything that has gone on with us. Not just us of course, but the case itself, what the cops are looking into, what I am going to do about Scarlet and the cartel which I still haven’t figured out yet. 

Slowly I move out from under Elio untangling limbs until he is laying on his stomach, his face hidden in the pillow and snuggled into the couch. I put the blanket over his body then leave the room to prepare for my morning run by throwing on my jogging shorts, my old college sweatshirt that I have cut the sleeves off of and my old dirty sneakers.   
Afterwards I head into the kitchen and prepare some coffee in the coffee pot for when I return and grab a pen and the pad off the counter jotting down a quick note for Elio. 

Hey went for a run be back soon! i wasn't sure if you liked coffee or not so there is milk, water, earl grey tea in the fridge. If you get hungry there is cereal in the pantry (second door, middle shelf) Make yourself at home, the remote for the tv is on the arm of the chair when I get back we can talk if you are up for it. _ Oliver 

Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Focus on the simple breathing. 

I run down the shore line along the beach, my bare feet hitting the sand at a jogging speed, not too fast and not too slow, leaving my mark on the softness of it as I chase after the slowly rising sun. the very waves a calm, gentleness that brings me comfort during this insane time. But even now, my mind isn’t at peace with itself and it won’t be for a very long time, I am still trying to figure out how I can get myself out of this mess. Away from Scarlet, away from the cartel without any repercussions of my actions hurting not only myself but hurting Elio further than what I have already. 

That night will forever be imprinted in my mind for as long as I live there is no getting rid of it, there is no letting go and the more it grips ahold of me the harder it gets. I want Elio to trust me but at the same time I am horrified by what is going on within my own heart. How do you get someone to trust you when they believe you killed someone that they loved?

This is not what I wanted for my life not at all and yet here I am being accused of murder, and stuck with what happened last night between me and Elio. He doesn’t trust me and he is weary of what I confessed to him, all the while he is still mourning his father as he should be. Yet, at the same time, he let me… allowed me to comfort him, that’s a start isn’t it? To let him know that I am here for him, even if he thinks otherwise. 

‘Time is what he needs Oliver, give the man time, give yourself time. Forgive yourself it wasn’t your fault.’ my heart says, ‘be gentle with yourself, let go of the anger.’ 

By this point, I’ve run past the giant ferris wheel on the pier and I stop to allow myself to catch my breath as I do, I feel something break inside of my chest and the moment it happens, I can taste the salt of my very own tears as they flow from my eyes. I don’t know if I am crying for myself, this fucked up situation presented to me, for Elio, his family or Samuel himself who if he were here, would tell me it will be okay in the end. How? How is any of this okay!!!! It’s not! The stress of it all, the emotions swelling and building up inside of me, they finally bubble over, unable to take much more of the thoughts plaguing my restless mind and broken heart. 

“Sammy, your son needs you.” I say softly out into the air, letting my voice be carried by it away from here, out across the ocean, letting it drift into the sky, hoping that in some way somehow, Samuel will hear me. “I need your help Sammy, tell me what to do! I am so confused, lost how in the fuck did I get here? All I wanted to do was be a writer… help me please, give me some kind of way to help your son. Help give your wife peace and comfort, help them and help me clear my name.” 

A breeze sweeps in as I stand there and for a second I can almost hear his soothing voice as he laughs. 

“Oliver, Oliver, Oliver. We rip out so much of ourselves to be cured of things faster. “ he said to me once, when I was going through something with a client at the time, who desperately wanted me to be her boyfriend. But I told her no. “and have less to offer each time we start with someone new that we go bankrupt by the age of thirty.” 

I took the last part as a joke since I am 32 but now that I am put in this situation it seemed to make sense. 

Here I was, running from the problem, the fear of everything that was happening, the murder, the cartel, Scarlet, the beginning stages of what I would hope to be a friendship with Elio. I was forcing myself to be “bankrupt” as he put it when I didn’t have to be and for what something that had happened out of my control. Preventable? Yes. but still out of my control. 

“Oliver!” I hear my name again and this time when I snap out of my thoughts I see a figure running towards me as I am walking back to the house. It’s Elio dressed in the clothes he came here in/ slept in the same night and is running barefoot, his hair flopping around as he does so his arms swing as he picks up speed. 

If I had a camera I would have taken a picture of this sight so that I could keep with me forever. I have seen Elio dance, I seen him walk but I have never seen this boy run and when he runs… my god he is so damn graceful at it just the natural way his body moves without a trip, or even stumbling. Not even I think I could pull something like that off without at least falling on my ass maybe… once or twice or tripping over my own shoes. Ergo last night’s events would have been one of those times.

“Hey everything okay?” I asked when we finally met in the middle and he was catching his breath, his green eyes falling on me as if he wanted to say something but forgot what it was.   
“Yeah, Yeah. I’m… your phone went off. I didn’t look at anything! I just… here.” he stammers out and slaps the phone down into my hand, as I look at him confused, clicking the button I immediately get a very sick feeling in the pit of my stomach and instantly I regret ever looking at the phone. 

When the screen lights up I see that there are over 100 text messages from Scarlet alone and 24 missed calls. All from her! This woman just won’t leave me the fuck alone and for once, I ignore her messages and calls putting my phone in the pocket of my shorts. 

“Walk back with me?” I ask and Elio nods without a word falls in line beside me, we walk along the sand and enjoy the sunrise together. 

Normally walking next to Elio brings me peace but today my anxiety is high. I want to know what those text messages say and at the same time, I just want to forget about Scarlet all together. I wish I never would have met this woman, I should have known the trouble she would be in the moment I met her. 

‘What could she possibly want to talk about? And do I really wanna know what she has to say? Best bet, she is going to chew my ass out for not taking her home. Or she wants to kill me or she wants me to meet her somewhere so that her husband can kill me! ‘

When we get back to the house I make breakfast, for both of us while Elio sits on the stool across from me, his head down, scrolling through his phone, his forearms resting on the counter. He has been quiet since we got back from the beach, I wish I knew what he was thinking right now. 

“You shouldn’t read that you know, it can rot your brain.” I say jokingly flipping a piece of bacon over, the grease popping as it gives a hiss. 

“I need to know what is going on.” he deadpans as he continues to scroll upwards, licking his bottom lip. I admire his determination but I can’t help but feel sorry from him. All he wants to do is find who killed his dad and the media has just taken the story and ran with it into crazy conspiracy theories and are starting to point fingers and anyone they can get their hands on. 

I move away from the stove briefly to see what he is staring at, leaning over I see him looking at one of the news reports about the murder of his father.   
“Suicide! Are you fucking kidding me!!!!!! Are you serious? My father would never commit suicide! He isn’t the type of person to…. God! People need to get their facts straight!” 

“Now you know why I don’t read that shit or read the comment section of social media. They can take whatever and twist it into whatever narrative they want and people who are “out of the loop” can believe it with a snap of a finger. I mean, take the case of Jon Bennet Ramsey for example the tabloids got a hold of that shit and they pointed fingers all over the place and they still don’t know who killed her and that happened in the 90s.” 

He glares at me. “You are not helping the situation Oliver! So just shut up! I know my father okay, he would never kill himself! My dad was a very respectable man who loved my maman and loved me, he was always having parties and laughing, smiling and would give people advice when they needed it most!” 

I frown at him. “Elio I wasn’t trying to… I know you dad would never kill himself. He wasn’t the kind of man to do that even if he was at his worst. I had nothing but respect for you father. He helped me out a lot and I don’t believe any of that shit that the tabloids or the news is saying at all. Neither should you. That's why I said what I said, so if you want to direct your anger at someone, do it to them, not me! I already told you I didn’t do it! I am being set up for this shit!”

“I know! You don’t have to keep reminding me.” he tosses his phone in front of him and lays his forehead on the table, closing his eyes a deep exasperated sigh comes out of his lungs and things go quiet again. His shoulders slouched, he slams his hands down on the table with a smack.

I turn off the burner when the eggs and bacon are done cooking and make myself and Elio a plate, then sit down beside him. That's when an idea hits me. 

‘We could solve Perlman’s murder ourselves! This would give me the chance to prove that I am innocent, and be able to show him he can trust me. Elio would be able to get the closure he needs and give his family peace of mind if we caught the killer.’ 

After I pretty much scarf down my breakfast I set my plate in the sink and get a little pep in my step on the way to my bedroom. I feel like I have some glimpse of hope about this very idea.

I go to my drawer and dig through it pulling out my stash and the lighter, then make my way back to Elio who is eating slowly and he looks at me with a puzzled look on his face. He licks off the remnants of yoke that threatens to hit the table.

“What’s up with you?” 

“I…” I say touching my chest with my open palm and tilt my head towards him. “Am going to smoke this beautiful greenery and forget that this nightmare of fuckery is happening. I am done with the extreme amounts of anxiety pouring through my body that is about to make me crazy, that I just may kill myself. So… I am going to come right over here, blast me some Stabbing Westward through this entire house and just let it all go.”

I go to the ihome in the corner of the room next to the tv, put my phone on the deck, skim through the artists and within seconds Christopher Hall’s vocals fill up the house, along with the soft guitar. I click the volume button up to fifteen and put the blunt to my lips, light it and breath. 

Tomorrow came too soon  
I barely made it through today  
Still empty inside  
I guess nothing's really changed

As soon as the smoke hits me I feel my mind start to calm and the worry of Scarlet fades into the background. I can feel Elio watching me from his chair, his eyes transfixed on what I am doing. So of course, I gotta show off just a little bit. So what does my goofy ass start doing? I fucking dance! Moving my feet across the carpet and moving my head to the music. 

I'm still afraid to feel  
'Cause I cannot take the pain  
I'm still afraid to feel  
Afraid to lose someone again

“Come on Elio, you know you want to.” I take another hit off of it and hold it out in his direction between my index and thumb still being a goofy mother fucker cuz I want him to laugh. I want him to let go for a little while and forget his problems just for a moment. 

He snorts and rolls his eyes at me trying so hard not to smile, his forearm resting on the back of the chair, his feet sitting on the bottom rung. I can see his foot is barely moving on the wood, following the beat, it's a small movement but it’s something. 

“Don’t make me start singing man, I will do it!” another breath in and Elio shakes his head. 

“Do you ever take anything seriously? I am trying to figure out who killed my father and you are getting high and dancing like an idiot.” 

He chides me but he is actually smiling when he says which only pushes me further, to be more of an idiot. So I air guitar it over the couch and start to sing at the top of my lungs(with the blunt in my mouth of course cuz don’t need a fucking house fire) and get closer to him. 

I wish that somehow  
I could leave  
My past behind  
My fears behind

Again I hold the smoke out to him in a silent plea of “come have fun with me” he sighs his shoulders shaking in a light chuckle when I take it in again and blow a halo over his head.   
If I could only breathe you in   
Every drop of you

He takes it from me then and puts it to his lips and breathes in, closing his eyes. I watch the ecstasy slowly come over his face and I smile. Yes, I know I am such a bad influence on him, but in this moment after all he has been through, I want him to remember that he can trust me. That when he is with me we can do these things and he is safe with me. 

***

Elio

“Okay, so.. Thought.” I hear Oliver say as he looks at me from the couch, laying on his back blowing out a ring of smoke as I am pacing back and forth across the carpet in my socks, with one of his oversized sweaters hanging off my arms, baggy shorts from when I had decided to throw my clothes in the washer. 

“Tell me!!!!” 

“Since the cops are no fucking help at all, and they think your dad committed sucide and we know that he didn’t! Then why don’t we just… mmm I don’t know, catch the bad guys ourselves.” 

“Oh my god yes! Like a modern day batman and robin! Do you know how fucking cool that would be!” 

“Hold on… Don’t you mean Sherlock Holmes and Watson? Or say… Morocco mole and secret squirrel?” He passes the joint back to me and I take a few hits off of it. Choking slightly from taking in too much at once and I cough a few times, with tears coming to my eyes but with a few pats to the chest I recover. 

“Don’t you dare mess with my fantasy Oliver! If I say we are gonna be batman and robin then we are going to be fucking batman and robin!” 

“If you insist, Elio so.. Where do we start batman?” he wiggles his eyebrows at me and I snort a laugh, shaking my head and I toss a pillow at him from the armchair. 

“Well let’s start with what we know already.” I say snatching the pad and pencil off the counter in the kitchen and go back into the living room. 

I start writing down all of the names of the people who were present at the party that night and then we break down where everyone was at that point in time. Which was easy for me since I was downstairs most of the night, having to play piano and could get a view of who was dancing beside me, in front of me, and those who were standing around mingling with each other. 

***

For most of the morning into the afternoon we smoke and bounce ideas off of each other as to who we thought killed my father and how they would do it. I had to admit, the very idea of us actually finding out who the killer was scared me.

what if it was someone I knew well and someone I possibly grew up around? Would I be able to live with that? Knowing that someone close to my father killed him? 

“Hold on! Wait wait! How do we know Scarlet didn’t do it?” Oliver was now sitting up with his arms stretched out on the back of the couch, with his legs stretched out right foot over left. “She would have a motive, she doesn’t like you.” 

“I don’t know, you are the one that knows her better than me! You were with her most of the night!” I didn’t mean for my voice to sound hurt. but at the time…

Oliver throws his head back and laughs at me from behind a big cloud of smoke. “Wait a second, you can’t say that, you were distracting me!!!! I was with you most of that night, we were literally together for a few hours at most and then you had me spend the night with you! I was with you that entire time! A--” 

“Don’t make excuses!!!!!!!” I say point a finger at him as he puts his arms behind his head, his feet now flat on the floor.

“It’s not an excuse, you were a distraction for me. You were following me around like a lost puppy! I could feel your eyes on me the entire time, no matter where I was, the bar, the dance floor, walking around with Scarlet. You were on me all the time, making things difficult for me!” 

I smirk at him, flicking my tongue upwards I decide to snap back with mirth rather than anger. “You didn’t say stop!” I pop the p with my mouth, and walk a little closer to him, bending down I snatch the joint right out of his hand. Keeping my eyes on him, “and you came looking for me after I was done playing so… who's the puppy now!

I blow the smoke out slowly towards him and watch his lungs expand and breath in slowly. I lose my train of thought distracted, by the way he is staring at me and then I blink. Seeing him smile, as he steals the last of it, our eyes are only locked for a second then I come back to myself.

“You and your damn piano fingers.” he mumbles under his breath.

“Wait! Stop for a second! Now you are distracting me!!!! Stay focused! “ I take a step back from him and I watch him shift and lean in towards me, putting the now tiny piece into the ashtray on the table in front of us.

“Have you never been high before or what E.l.i.o.” he teases. “I could have swore we gotten high together that night too.”

The way he says my name sends a tingle up my back and makes my scalp prickle. Say my name again, please say it again. What?! No what the hell are you doing!!!! 

“Fuck! We got off topic! I can’t remember what we were talking about!” I throw my hands up into the air and whirl around starting to pace again. 

12:05pm

At some point Oliver decided to finally take a shower and change out of his sweaty running clothes from this morning and take a shower. 

While he was doing that, I had papers scattered all around me, the pencil shavings from the countless times I had sharpened the pencil scattered over one blank piece of notebook paper, while the rest of the sheets were covered in my script and scribbles of notes, pairings and scenarios that Oliver and I had come up with. So far we had nothing, all these suspects and nothing! 

When I no longer hear the shower running, I turn my head to see Oliver dressed in a bathrobe with a pair of black basketball shorts underneath it. The robe lays open I quickly look down the moment he is out of my line of vision I breathe again, letting the air out slowly, I focus on the paper in front of me, with a pencil I scratch out a few of the names I know for certain I knew who left at 2:45am on the dot. 

And he says i’m distracting him!’

*Crunch!* 

What th…..

I look up to see Oliver laying on the couch with a bag of cheetos in one hand and the new joint we lit a few hours ago in his other hand. That scowl of concentration on his face, his forehead gently wrinkling, eyes narrow at the ceiling, legs stretched out. 

“Oliver what are you doing?” 

“I got the munchies.” he speaks with his mouth fully and I shake my head in disapproval, getting up from the floor I go over to him. 

“You are clearly distracted again! We are supposed to be finding my father’s killer!!!” I hold my hand out to him and he stares at it then at me. “Give me the bag.” 

“But I’m hungry.” he pouts looking like an overgrown child, hugging the bag to his chest.

“Give. Me. The. Damn. cheetos.” I say through clenched teeth trying not to lose patience with the taller man before me who I know, if he wanted he could kick my ass. But I stand firm and try to keep a straight face as I repeat myself. 

“No.” Oliver starts to giggle and I pounce on him then try to take the bag away by force, I scramble to snatch it from him but he has longer arms and pushes me off of him. 

He sits up and holds both of his arms up into the air, when I go to stand on the couch, he just stands up to his full height and stretches upwards so I can’t reach neither. The whole time he is laughing and smiling clearly thinking he has the upper hand and that I won’t find a way to counterattack. 

Damn you Oliver! 

I start jumping on the couch and then I see his eyes widen when I leap off and try to wrap myself around his body, reaching for it with my right hand, I use his own arm to reach further and I barely touch the edge of it. Still not enough to tear it out of his hand.

“Joint or cheetos Oliver you can’t have both!” 

“The fuck I can’t!” he shoves me away and then takes off running, i can hear his laughter all through the house and I become tickled myself, as I lift off the couch and take off after him. 

“Oliver?” I hear his feet again and I take off towards the bedroom where I find him standing on the bed, cheeto in his mouth, holding it between his teeth.

I take a running leap at him and grab a hold of his foot, but just as easy he steps away from it and I climb up, I watch him put weed behind his ear like one of those bad boys in the hollywood movies, and he uses his free hand to fight me off as I start to slap at him, our skin coming connecting into hard playful slaps. With the two of us laughing, a determined look in my eyes, we go back and forth, and just when I think I have the upper hand this time…..

“Oh sh….. ahhhH!!!!!!!” We both go crashing down on the bedroom floor and I hear a very loud cracking sound and for a moment I think Oliver’s broken his back. 

I look over and Oliver is a tangle of limbs up against what I assumed to be a closet, his legs up bent as if in a scorpion position. 

“Oliver! Are you okay?! Did you break something?”

I hear a groan and Oliver slowly sits up, he moves again and I hear the cracking noise again, then wince grimacing.

“Yeah, I’m fine, are you okay?” 

“Mhm.” I see him move again, slowly getting up to his feet, He grabs my hand and pulls me with him, the lit joint is crushed and no longer lit. It’s broken into pieces and then I realize that the noise was the bag of cheetos that landed underneath him, we both look at each other then at the bag and again at each other. 

We both burst into laughter, both of us in tears. “Okay I think we have played around enough, lets get back to work.”

“Hold on a minute what’s your rush? Come on, let’s go swimming.” I hear him say and he stalks off down the hallway with the crushed bag of cheetos as I pick up the broken blunt and pick myself up heading after him. 

I watch him for a second then quickly chase after him through the house, my feet barely making a sound.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so... Next chapter swimming while high this should be interesting XD


	22. Sick and Twisted Affair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Detective Murcoff and his partner go to speak to Miranda, gather more clues, and Elio sees something he shouldn’t have that makes him question Oliver. it’s late at night and Oliver can’t sleep so he finally decides on getting some writing done and quietly ponders over what to do about Scarlet’s text messages. When the decision is made for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy!

Miranda’s home

Detective Danvers

“Thank you for allowing us to talk to you Miranda. We will not take up too much of your time. we just want to ask you a few questions about Samuel.” 

“Yeah, sure no problem.” I notice that her tone is very calm, friendly as she allows us entrance to her home, she then invites us to have a seat in her living room and asks if we would like anything to drink. 

“No thank you. We are sort of pressed for time.” Danvers quickly reminds her, though I do believe she was speaking to me when she said that. 

“Oh alright. So…. ask away I have nothing to hide. But what is this about?” Miranda settles herself in the chair adjacent to us folding her hands in her lap, her left leg over her right one. 

“Professor Perlman was murdered in his home.” I keep my tone soft and my eyes focused on her face as she reacts to the news, she does and reacts to the tragedy as I suspected she would. As most victims who find out a friend or family member have died. 

Some go into shock at first unable to believe it has happened, while others cry, shake their heads and simply say, “No. no. no.” over and over as they sink to the floor. 

But Miranda...

“Oh… I’m- how did it happen?” 

Her eyes well up with unshed tears as she holds her hand to her mouth, in clear sadness.  
“We haven't ruled anything out yet, but from the looks of the wounds they were self defense, and he put up one hell of a fight. Um…” 

Danvers looks at me for direction and I take over from there. “His throat was cut. Please forgive me for asking this Miranda but did you and Samuel get along?”

Her hand drops and she pulls a tissue from the box to her right and dabs her eyes with it sniffing. “Um, I would say that Samuel and I were close to each other. Yes. he and I met on a train, he was going to visit his son Elio at the time. My father was in terrible health so I thought a visit would help.”

“And how did he interact with you? Was he friendly? Standoffish?” 

“At first, he was very shy but he would look at me as one person often does, when they want to speak. Yet, they can’t really find the words to physically speak so you and that person are kind of at an awkward stand still waiting for the other person to talk. Once I got him talking however, we just couldn’t stop ourselves, we talked about so many things even our families.”

As she spoke I made a mental note to keep her reaction in my memory as I took notes on what she was saying.

“Did he ever say anything about his wife to you?” Danvers butts in, writing her own notes down on her notepad.

Miranda’s posture shifts, putting her leg back on the floor, as she wiped the escaping tears, her voice holding a gentle brokenness to it. 

“He did mention her at some point, but he didn’t talk about her as much as he did about his son. He would talk about how Elio was a famous musician and how much he wanted me to meet him. But he and I did have an affair though brief, it didn’t last very long.”

“How long did the affair last?” 

“It was only a few months, he then ended it saying that he wanted to try to work things out with her.”

“Did you have any hurt feelings during the break up? Hold any grudges against Samuel about it?” Danvers asks carefully.

“I was hurt of course, but I felt bad I thought he was getting a devorce at the time. But I should have just left him alone, but I found him very attractive, wise, passionate and a very sweet man. Who seemed to be lonely at the time and just wanted some companionship while on the train ride, as most of us often do. I even wanted him to leave his wife for me but, I could see it in his eyes that he was still very much in love with her. So I just backed off after it ended and we don't talk anymore after that.”

I’m starting to believe that she had nothing to do with this…

“Where were you on September 12th?” 

“I was here taking care of my dog lighthouse around 9:30 and then from 12:00 to 2:45pm I was with my father at his home.”

After we asked her a few more questions, my instincts told me that she didn't kill Samuel. My partner seemed to think otherwise as we left her house and got back in the car. 

"What do you think?" 

"I don't think she did it. She's innocent, she was just a woman on the shitty end of an affair that fell in love with the wrong person." 

"How many times have I heard and seen the same poor me routine? She was clearly playing on the sympathy card." 

I look at Danvers shocked. 

"Were we interviewing the same person? She is innocent Danvers, I am telling you she couldn't have done it. Where would she have found the time to fly from her home to Seattle to kill a guy who she used to love? At the time, it would have taken her to do everything plus the jetlag she probably would have felt after such a long plane ride. There is no way." 

"Whatever you say Murcoff. I think she is hiding something." 

*********

Oliver

Why I thought it was a good idea to go swimming after I just ate a half bag of cheetos I have no idea. All I knew was I wanted to get Elio and myself away from all that murder shit. To do something that had nothing to do with dead bodies, cartels, or thinking about Samuel which I knew both of us had been doing in the backs of our minds even when neither would voice it out loud. 

I go through the house grabbing the rest of the weed off the couch, my lighter and I head out the back door, leaving it wide open. Elio follows me in tow as I untie the robe and toss it on one of the lawn chairs, leaving my shorts on. 

“What are you doing?” 

“Going to go swimming.” I say with a very nonchalant, carefree shrug as I toss my lighter and the bag of weed on the chair. 

“I thought we were going to, you know, get back to work?” he takes a step out of the house and stands there with his arms crossed over his chest, staring at me, as I begin to walk down the steps two at a time. His eyes are on my back and I turn back to him, waving at him. 

“You’re not gonna make me swim alone are you? Come on man, the water feels good at night I mean, look at it. It’s just begging for you to jump in it!” 

He shakes his head and I stop midstep, getting a playful look in my eyes, he instantly picks up on it and his eyes widen and he braces himself as I come towards him, hands out in front of me.

“Oliver what are y…. No, no, “ he takes off running and I chase him off the back porch, down the steps and into the sand, his bare feet make foot prints that I step in with my bigger ones. He is screaming but it isn’t like he is dying it is more of that playful screaming that happens when playing tag. 

We both end up slowed by the sand and I nearly trip, which Elio laughs at me. I dig my feet into the sand and I am able to get a little bit more leverage. I am able to swoop down and grab him around his skinny waist, hall him over my right shoulder and I run straight towards the water. 

“Oliver!!!!!!!!!!!!! Put me down you asshole!” he laughs, banging his hands against my back, his voice becomes high in pitch which makes me laugh from my stomach as his limbs thrash about trying to get away from me. But not really putting much effort into it and then…

“Hold your breath and whatever you do don’t drink the water Elio.” I warn before I go on a full out run and jump into the water with a very loud splash, releasing Elio’s body as I do, his screams are the last thing I hear before the water takes me under. 

When I come back up for air Elio is coughing but he seems to be alright. I chuckle and swim close to him, the wave taking our bodies up as it pushes us towards the shore.

"Jerk! you could've drowned me!" He spudders gagging, spitting the water out, my own tongue sticks out in sympathy, it tastes very salty, I should know from all the times I swallowed it as a child. That is the one thing I don’t miss about going swimming in the ocean.

"Oh I hope not I was beginning to like having you around me."

He splashes me with water and I retaliate back with little flicks of water coming off of my hands. We go like this for a while, his mood improves a little as he begins laughing, a smile creeps in there somewhere as our splashes get bigger he looks much like a teenager more so than an adult.

"Oh fuck you Oliver." He puts no meaning behind such words but he does make a bigger splash, smacking his hands down in the water making it hit me directly in the face, now I'm coughing and he's giggling. 

Even I feel a lot younger than my age during this water battle that has now turned into a giant splash war between the two of us, the waves make things more interesting and difficult for us as they rock us here and there. 

There is a silence between us that expands the ocean. I gave up on the war a long time ago, the moment the salt touched my tongue I was gagging and spitting in the water, on the verge of hurling. He won.

"So I bet you got a lot of crazy fangirls, get to travel the world, have lots of sex and get people all hyped for your concerts huh?”

We were swimming around each other floating more like, letting the waves move and rock us around, we were a lot closer to the house now. But still deep enough that we didn’t touch the sand, more treading water than anything. 

“Oh so that is what you think? That I am this big rockstar of the classical word that can get anything and everything I want with the snap of my finger? How presumptuous of you Oliver, and here I thought you were the one with that ego with how many clients you have following you.” 

Cheeky little brat 

“We aren’t talking about me Elio. I wanna know about you, but you don’t have to tell me. That is… if you don’t want to, I mean I could always look your ass up on social media and go searching through all of your personal moments and shit like you did me. It’s okay.” 

“Shit! I’m sorry, Oliver I… wasn’t thinking!”

His curls are completely gone, his hair stuck to his head, his eyes looking away from me as he lays on his back, floating, his arms stretched out, chin tilted to the sky which has turned dark, no stars in the sky tonight. 

“Hey, it’s alright. I already told you people dig into me all the time, El I’m only teasing. Relax. In all seriousness though, what’s it like to be well known for what you do?” 

“It’s both rewarding and a curse at the same time. I mean, for those who enjoy my music they tell me things like “your music is such an inspiration to me!” that I am their idol and they hope they can be like me some day, one girl told me she had her first time with her boyfriend to my music. I didn’t know how to take that, I thought it was a little… I don’t know.. Too personal maybe. Then there are those fans that want to ship me with certain people from Hollywood and those that write fanfictions about me. Others only want to be around me for my looks and a lot of it gets tiring after a while, so I like to escape to my parent’s house to escape all of it just for a little while. But sometimes, it doesn’t work very well.”

“Alright, your turn. What’s it like really being an escort?” 

“It’s not all that it is cracked up to be Elio. Seriously, you think about all the glam of it like the fancy suits, the money, men and women fawning over you left and right just to be in bed with you. Giving into their every desire while you can’t satisfy yourself in the moment, and then when you get off of work and go back home… it’s like yes I have all this money from a good client but its… shit it’s lonely man. Really fucking lonely to the point I some times can’t even stand my own company you know? That’s why I want out of it so badly but I can’t-”

“Because of Scarlet.” it isn’t a question it is a statement that hits me dead in the chest. 

“Look who catches on so quickly.” I give a self deprecating chuckle that doesn’t reach my eyes and I watch him swim over to me and stop another mere inch of being close to me. “So now you know the big secret, of being an escort, no smoke and mirrors, no being famous… just a regular guy who gives people what they desire for a living so that I can try and follow a dream that possibly won’t work. Some life huh?” 

“Hey! Don’t do that, you are a good writer Oliver and I know that book is going to be good, once you let me read it.” 

“Thanks. “

We swim around a little longer then decide to head back to the shore and lay down on the sand, stretched out I put my hands behind my head, and Elio mimics my position, funny enough the moment I breath in we are breathing together in sync with each other same as when we breathe out in a sigh. 

“Okay now it’s your turn. What is the stupidest thing you've ever done in your childhood?” 

Elio blushes, turning his head to the side he looks at me, his hands coming to rest on his stomach, his fingers lacing together. “You’re going to think it’s gross. I’d rather not say.” he shakes his head but I can tell he really wants to know what I think about whatever it is in his mind.

“Try me.” I shoot back with a grin.

“When I was seventeen, during the summer before Marzia and I became a relationship, we would fool around at my uncle’s house in the attic. Well, I had the brilliant idea to go up there one day when we weren’t together and…. God! No I can't, it's gross.”

“Tell! Anything you say can’t be as gross as you are making it out to be in your own head Elio and you are also talking to a guy who has seen so much shit on the job so…” 

“I fucked a peach.”

“Excuse me? Did…. did I just hear you say that you fucked a peach? As in the fruit?!” I have to bite my lip to keep in my laughter as Elio stares at me with an ashamed almost horrified expression on his face. That his cheeks turn a few more shades of a reddish tomato and he hits me in the arm. 

“Stop, I told you it was gross and now you're laughing at me! What the hell?!!!” 

“Is that all… wow that… fuck Elio that’s interesting, but that is not gross at all in fact, I have a client who dabbles in a food fedish so… yeah. I’ve seen some pretty interesting things.” 

He gapes at me then sitting up, he looks down at me. “You really have done everything haven’t you? I mean, sexually? There really is nothing that grosses you out or makes you cringe that someone asks for?” 

‘oh he wants to have that conversation right now, shit I am not high enough to have this conversation yet.’ 

“Hold that thought!” I say quickly then get up and run back up to the porch to grab the weed and the lighter. 

***

Elio

For a moment I really thought I had scared him away with what I had just confessed. Then again, I did walk right into that and it just slipped out of my mouth. That was a part of my life and during a time when I had become sexually adventurous, I was trying to find myself and what I liked at the time, boys, girls, etc. the whole experimenting phase of my life that had made me figure out who I was in the end. 

Oliver does end up coming back and he drops the bag of weed straight into my hand, along with a zippo before he directs me. 

“Blaze us up piano boy, I’ll be back in a second in desperate need of snacks.” he then is gone again and I play with the top of the lighter flicking it back and forth. Open. shut. Open. shut. Click. Clack. Click. Clack. Click. 

The flame comes on and I put the stick to my lips watching the orange reddish flame glow bright, once it touches the paper. I breathe in taking the first hit then, gently begin to tease the paper with my tongue out of habit as I wait for Oliver to return. 

“Oh my god!” I jump in surprise as a bag of takis land in my lap and I look up at him with absolute adoration in that moment. 

“What?” he plops down next to me, takes the bag of takis and rips open the back with ease, resting it between us to share. 

“I love takis! This was my favorite thing to eat as a kid, I used to eat this stuff like candy.” I pass the stick to him and shove my hand into the bag, pulling a handful out of the large bag and shovel them into my mouth with a very loud satisfying crunch and chew them up, possibly making the most orgasmic face ever. 

“These are my favorite. I love hot and spicy shit so I always keep a family size bag of them while I am here. Then I have a few more back at my house in Seattle. Now, what were we talking about before I left.” 

I watch him take a hit.

“I asked you if there was anything that really grosses you out or makes you cringe that someone asks for?” 

“Ah yes. Yeah, there is.” he chuckles, and glances at me as I dip my hand into the bag again and pulls a few takis out and pop them into my mouth. 

“I uh, had a person who wanted me to go all R Kelly on them and I was like, “hey I will do whatever you want but that and poop. I have standards and a lot more self respect than that.” 

I nod as I munch and smoke interchangeably. “ Yeah no. absolutely understand that one, not even I would do something like that, I mean.. Not to shame anyone but,” I visibly shudder. “I just, to each their own.” 

Quiet. The only thing I can hear is me breathing and my hand occasionally hitting the back between us and his breathing. 

I blow out little tiny o’s with Oliver quietly watching me for a moment, before he reaches out his right hand for his turn. His hair is swept to the side, his eyes are kind and our fingers gently brush when I hand him the joint. 

“You never did tell me what the stupidest thing you ever did as a kid was. Tit for tat Oliver.” I put my feet flat on the ground pulling my knees up to my chest. “And please don’t tell me that you got your dick stuck in a vacuum cleaner or anything like that… it so cliche and stupid.” 

Oliver laughs a full belly laugh that makes me smile at my joke. “No no no, I never did anything like that or american pie related either. No what I did was really stupid and got me locked up once.”  
‘Oh here we go… this ought to be interesting.’

“What did you do?” I ask carefully, scared of the answer I was going to get. I really didn’t want him to say something like, “oh I murdered someone.” I wanted to believe him when he said that he didn’t kill papa but right now that was all my mind would conjure up and the fact that I wanted to kiss him again. But… that was the attraction talking. 

“I….” 

‘ oh man here it comes… brace yourself, deep breath.’

“I got into a bar fight with a guy who called me a name that I didn’t like. I was really drunk, and we got into a verbal altercation that ended up transforming into a physical brawl. I ended up getting arrested, while I had weed on me and so I had to stay in the holding cell but ended up staying the night there.”

‘oh thank god!’

He can see the worried expression takes a hit and passes to me, blowing the smoke up into the air. “What did you think I was going to say…” 

“Honest. I thought you were going to say that you ended up streaking drunk in the public and that you punched a hobo or something.” 

We both crack up and fall back into the sand, the second my head hits the sand, I feel it move underneath me and then I hear a soft snap. 

I see Oliver stiffen beside me and look at me wide eyed, almost like he is afraid of me and I blink at him. “What? Oliver, wha….” 

“Don’t fucking move. Be very still okay.”

“You saying that just makes me scared even more! What?!!!!!” I make the mistake of moving and then I feel something go underneath me and then I hear the snap again, then the pain comes and I let out the biggest scream. 

“OLIVER GET IT OFF ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Shit! Ow! OW! Fuck! Oliverrrrrrrrrrrr!!!! Don’t just sit there help me!” 

I take off trying to see what is biting me, I have never moved so fast in all my life. Jumping around I check my hair, my exposed chest and then, I check my shorts and I scream louder, jumping even faster Oliver is laughing his ass off at me, holding his sides and practically rolls on the sand before he actually comes to help me. 

“Okay stop moving around Elio or the crab is going to snap your dick off. You pissed off a crab and all it is doing is trying to find a way out. Stop jumping around and relax for me.”

“Oh that’s easy for you to say you don’t have a crab in your pants!!!!” I whimper and pray as Oliver grabs me by the arm. “Oh fuck! It’s moving Oliver, it's going towards my balls.”

“Will you be still for me to get it out of your shorts?”

I nod frantically and try to breath through my nose, as Oliver gently removes the crab from my shorts. There is amusement in his eyes as he looks at the crab. “Oh you big baby, look El it’s just a little crab. These things don’t have much of a…. “

*snap!* 

“OW! Why you…. oW!!!! Son of a….” Oliver yells and throws the crab out into the ocean and I lose my shit, I start laughing and somehow I can’t stop even if the pain radiating from my ass does hurt. I have tears in my eyes from the situation and Oliver glares at me.

“Hey! At least it got you in a very meaty part of your body!” I watch him rub left pec and I snicker when I notice that the crab got him on the nipple, the skin looks red and swollen.

“Karma! Ha! That’s what you get for laughing at me, serves you right.” I sigh letting out the air in my lungs as I catch my breath and walk back to the spot, where we were laying moments before, and lay on my stomach. A soft moan leaves my mouth as I stretch my arms then fold them inwards resting my chin on them.

“Also meaty part of my body? You’re the one that has a big ass so I don’t know what you are on about.” 

“Pffft oh I see… so you want to make fun of my ass is that it Elio? You wanna make fun of how big it is! “

He raised an eyebrow at me, shifting and changing positions so that he is now laying on his right side, cradling his head in his arm, that charming smile making its presence again.

“No! I was just stating the obvious that's all." I shrug my shoulders slowly rolling onto my side, to look at him as I put my hand in the taki bag, pulling one out and putting it in my mouth chuckling. 

"I happen to like your ass just the way it is.” He mutters under his breath and I stop mid crunch. “There isn’t a thing I would change about you Elio.” he admits.

“Thank you.” is the only words that I can think to say to him in that moment and he just nods at me as I finish off the joint in my hand. 

“Do you really think my ass is big?” he asks slightly offended, looking behind himself and I chuckle to myself. 

“Your ass in fine Oliver.” 

I lay on my back again trying to get comfortable. The sting still throbs but it is not as bad as it was before, I’m sure I'm going to have a bruise there in the morning. Stupid crab!

“Oliver..”

“Yes?” His voice is a soft rumble like tone that reminds of the night we snuggled together. 

“Do you think papa would be proud of me?” I don’t know what possessed me to ask him such a question. Maybe I needed the peace of mind, the validation of an answer of what I think my father would say? Or was it because I missed my father and just wanted to make him proud of me.

“You were all he ever talked about Elio. Even when he was helping me out and when I first met him, you were and are that man’s entire life other than his archaeology. Oh! I can’t wait for you to meet my son Elio. He is a famous pianist and a very good one, he is supposed to be here soon. In fact, I believe the day that he came to see me, he was actually talking to you on the phone. Was your dad a big coffee drinker?” 

Silently I dug the fingers of my left hand down into the sand, letting it run over my fingers, swallowing them as I spoke softly. 

“Papa liked coffee but he loved his whiskey and his wines more. Not that my father was an alcoholic or anything!” I say quickly not wanting Oliver to misinterpret what I said. “He just loved to drink at his parties, when relaxing and he never drank on the job oh no, when his mind was set on work he was consumed by it.” 

“I figured. He seemed very enthusiastic about finding this one particular statue and he always asked for the same kind of coffee, always a smile on his face too.”

“Kouros. My father had been in search of him for months… years even his team of divers finally found it and he took me down to see it, being drugged up from the waters of lake Garda. Papa’s eyes lit up like christmas lights that day, he was so happy and I was happy for him.”

“Kouros… Kouros, that’s Hellenistic isn’t it?” he asks me intrigued by the subject, his full attention on me. 

“It was a copy of one of the originals by Praxiteles.” 

“Somebody knows their classics.” He comments in appreciation and proceeds to explain that he wrote a paper all about Heraclitus when he was a graduate student when he was going to college. “But I honestly think your father is very proud of you Elio. I think he always was no matter what you did.” 

I snort softly. “That’s what happens when you are a son of a classics professor who lives and breathes art constantly, more like obsessed with it.” 

I laugh and poke fun but I had a very interesting childhood thanks to my father’s love and obsession with such passion and happiness. Spending hours going on findings with him, reading about them, watching his slides with him of the statues he would find and him explaining their significance with them. He would often make up bedtime stories for me with his slides and I would fall asleep dreaming of my father’s stories of love. 

**************

3 Am, Oliver’s house: same night

OLiver 

“Ugh! Elio we have been at this for hours can we stop now?” I groan in annoyance, my eyes are burning, my brain is aching from overthinking, and if I see the word “suspect” one more damn time, I am going to pull my hair out. 

“Please Oliver, a little longer! I swear I am onto something!” I get up from the couch and stand up stretching my tired bones, as I look down at Elio who is staring up at me with beseeching green eyes that remind me of a kid that wants to stay up past his bedtime. 

“No. You are going to tire yourself out and you already are yawning. Go to bed, all of this shit will still be here in the morning and I am sure you will make an even bigger mess tomorrow.” 

I quip to which he sticks his tongue out at me and he picks himself up off the floor, rubbing his butt with his hand from sitting down too long. 

“I’m not tired!” he whines and I shake my head, “Don’t even think about it.” When I saw him get this knowing look in his eyes, he was seriously about to get on my last nerve for the night. I was two seconds away from throwing him over my shoulder and carrying him into the bedroom and dropping his ass on the bed.

I wait until I hear the door shut and I sigh, rubbing my hands over my face, slowly walking over to my desk I decide to write a little chapter or two before bed. I had helped Elio all of today and completely forgot why I came out here. Inspiration. 

The minute that I sit down my phone goes off with a soft plink indicating that I have yet another text message and I am dreading who it is from. I know I just know that it is going to be from her and I have a feeling it isn’t going to be good. 

I suck in a breath and turn my phone over then hit the button swiping upwards and I am met with the home screen. I hit the message button and when the screen pops up sure enough, there is a message from the woman herself and my chest tightens up, and I push the message. 

Please don’t tell me…

Please don’t tell me… 

Please don’t tell me…

Please don’t tell me…

Please don’t tell me...

When I click the message it is exactly what I expect it to be shouting and anger. I’m not even near her and I can hear the knife in her voice, getting ready to stab me.

What in the hell could be so important that she needs to text me at this time? Oh shit! What if the cops got to her?!! I need to know what she told them! 

My mind is silently whirling with the idea of this happening. If it has happened, then it is just a matter of time before, I am questioned again! Wait… why would they, I told them everything that I knew and told them where I was that night. 

I chew on my bottom lip as I quietly contemplate how to respond to her when another text message comes in. I am literally on the edge of my seat, as I hear the soft plink noise again, and this time I can see the message right there. 

She knows I’ve read her message. She knows I am awake and that only means one thing…  
She is wanting something from me and that something, I have two guesses as to what that is. One, she wants me to meet her somewhere to actually talk or she is fucking with my head to scare me. 

“Please lover I need you!” and there it is the one thing to make me jump and go running to her like the good little sex mutt that I am. Well to her anyway… 

‘Don’t answer her back! Don’t answer her back! Just let her stew in her own worry for a while. Let her sweat Oliver, make her worry.’

My brain says but my hands don’t get the memo I type out a message to her against all of the shit going on. One thing is in my mind, keep Elio away from Scarlet at all costs, she can handle me however she likes, I will take the blunt of her anger, I have multiple times. I know it’s wrong and I should stay away from her but she is a drug in my system that I can never truly leave, she has things on me that she could use against me. So until all of this bullshit is over then I will continue to play and do as she says. 

‘You’re supposed to be helping Elio find his dad’s killer! Don’t go to her! You know how she is what she does to you.’

I get up from the chair forgetting all about my book once again and head towards the bedroom, as quietly as I can I make my way around the room in the dark. Quickly picking out my clothes and slips into them, trying to not wake Elio from his slumber on my bed. 

Since his nightmare I have been letting him sleep in my bed hoping that it will help him as it has done me, these past few nights. 

I steal a glance at him and sigh inwardly before I leave the room completely, shutting the door behind me heading back down the hallway, I snag my keys off the hook by the front door and head out into the night. I am tired and I really don’t want to do this, I don’t want this and yet, I can’t say no.

Outside the air is cool for September but it’s better than being too overly hot so I don’t complain. As I walk along the steps, rubbing the back of my neck as I do. I’m still debating on seeing Scarlet even after the shit she pulled at the party, they are still investigating the murder and from what my dad’s friend told me.

“Don’t go out of state and do not speak to anyone, who is involved in this case. Oliver I am not only saying this as a friend of your father, I am telling you this because I could lose my job, but I am going to help you out.” 

Which means I am not allowed to speak to Scarlet but here I am about to go meet her under the pier, while the innocent one in all this mess is laying in my bed. Then again, I was never the type to follow other people’s rules but this situation is different. 

My heart starts to beat erratically the closer I get under the ferris wheel, I can hear the sounds of the locals walking above my head, the constant marching thud of their shoes, little kids laughing as they run around, I can smell the delicious smells of hotdogs, turkey legs, popcorn, and the funnel cake. 

In the shadows I can see her standing there before I can smell that sweet smell of her perfume. It is very unmistakeable. I believe wholeheartedly that if you were to stick me into a crowd blindfold me and made me try to find this woman, I would be able to find Scarlet without a second guess just from her perfume and how strong it is. 

“Took you long enough!” she hisses, grabbing me by my jacket she shoved back up against one of the wooden beams of the pier and I grunt when my back hits it. Her fingers wrap around the back of my neck and jerks my head forward and I go willingly, bending so our lips touch, her lips are poison they lie, they cheat, they say one thing and mean entirely another when it comes to promises and desires. 

“Did you tell the cops about us?” she murmurs against my mouth before biting down on my lip roughly and a moan comes out of me. 

“Why would….” I don’t get to finish my thought, my mouth has once again been taken from me. “No of course not!” I breathe in as she runs her fingers up my chest, my eyes fall shut. ‘Poison and fire mixed together, sinking into my veins Oliver you are going to hell, no pass for you just going straight to hell.’

She presses her lips to my throat, her fingers roaming over me a delicate line from my forearms to my hands, teasingly, soft scratches against my skin. 

“Why would I say anything to them, specifically about you? when I am just as much of a suspect as you. I am not stupid Scarlet, besides you would have me shot or your cousin would fuck me up for that matter. There are so much bigger things at stake, that I am not willing to lose.” 

Her fingers run over my jawline up the side and she playfully flicks my earring. “I don’t know that boy probably has his little finger wrapped around what’s mine and for all I know, he has turned you against me.” she pouts and if that’s happened then, you my love won’t be able to move my drugs to my customers using your… talents and if the cops find out-”

She grabs me roughly by the jaw, her eyes turning serious, her chin tilts upwards as she presses her body against mine. I stare at her wide-eyed, my heart skips a beat through the haze of lust that trickles over my body. A light growl comes out of me, this is what she does, this is how she controls all of her men, through pain and pleasure mixed together something that I have learned just from being with her. 

“Then I will kill you myself Oliver and that would be a shame wouldn’t it? For me, since you are indeed my favorite by far over the others and for you well… then Elio Perlman wouldn’t be able to sink his claws into you. So… let’s get something perfectly clear, just so we are on the same page. if you betray me in any way, and I find out you went behind my back to anyone it won’t just be your balls I will have in my hands. You got that!”

A dark chuckle comes out of my mouth an involuntary noise, pulling my face away from her hands, I cup my hands against her throat, my thumbs sweeping over the column of her neck making her purr at my very touch. I smirk, I grind my hips against hers. 

“Loud and clear my little minx.” I whisper as her poison takes over my body and I am thrown into the haze once again. 

To be continued.


	23. Fighting For The Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I can’t believe you fucking liar! You…. stay the hell away from me!” I stumble backwards with my heels digging into the sand as I back away from him, my eyes on the blue orbs, the trust I once had broken and the demon that hangs off of his arm with a smirk. I can’t believe this… he promised me that he wouldn’t hurt me and he has. This person who was so kind, so fun to be around just… “

Elio 

Another nightmare, another sweat filled night where papa’s death looms over me and the pain comes into my chest and burns in the missing space of my heart where papa’s love resides. It’s still hard to deal with. I still expect him to come through the bedroom door, sit down beside me and wrap me up in a hug of gentle comfort and for his hand to pet my curls. 

“Aw Elly-belly everything is alright, papa’s here. There’s nothing to be afraid of, come let’s go see if your mother wants to read with us hm?”

I get out of bed, shoving the covers back and notice that Oliver isn’t there and I can no longer hear his fingers typing. So I assume, he went to sleep passed out on the floor or the couch too exhausted to come to his own bed. 

I yawn running a hand through my unyielding hair, the curls have gone all over the place, and are unable to be tamed back into place. I snagged my dark hoodie off of the door knob that I had placed there just in case I got cold and began making my way through the house in search of Oliver. 

I look in all the usual places that he could be the kitchen, the bathroom, the upstairs room where he said he kept his game room from when he was a teenager. He wasn’t there. I head back down the steps slowly, my feet giving off soft thuds as I do and move back to the living room, no Oliver. 

‘Where is he?’

I decide to go for a walk on the beach and clear my muddled mind of the bad dream, I don’t bother with my shoes, and just head out, going down the steps I shove my hands into the pockets of my hoodie and begin walking. Down the shore with memories of Papa and I going out on the boat during one of his archaeology findings, we did this a lot together during the summers mostly, when the water was nice and cold during the scorching heat, I would dip my fingers in creating little bubbles and would pop each one as a kid. 

As I keep going the waves continue to lightly lick at my feet, I walk about half way and out of the corner of my eye I see two silhouettes underneath the pier. I think nothing of it as I thought it was a couple that were looking to be alone, possibly making out in the shadows. I tried not to stare at them but my eyes wouldn’t look away from them, they seemed so comfortable in each other’s embrace. I envied them. I wanted to be them, I found myself wondering what it would be like to kiss someone like this under the moonlight. 

‘You kissed Oliver in your room while a party was going on downstairs.’ my brain comments. 

“No stupid! That doesn’t count; he wants to know what it would be like to kiss someone when in love with them!’ my heart chides.  
“What does it feel like to be in love?” 

I say to myself, still watching them. It is only when I see the jacket that the man is wearing do I realize that the person is Oliver! Okay… if that is Oliver then who is…. 

I dare myself to walk closer to the pair making the distance between us smaller by an inch then I stop. There is a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. It’s that same feeling I felt when Oliver left me the first time at the party, and didn’t come back for hours until I had to physically go and look for him. 

‘I know you feel me staring at you Oliver… I know you can see me turn around! And… Scarlet?!!!! He’s with Scarlet!!!!! But.. but….’

“I can’t believe you fucking liar!” I yell out loud.”

“Elio… what are you?” I see his face turn to pure horror then when he realizes what he has done and he looks to Scarlet who has a satisfied smile to her painted lips, her fingers trailing over him as if he were a dog. 

You…. stay the hell away from me!” I stumble backwards with my heels digging into the sand as I back away from him, my eyes on the blue orbs, the trust I once had broken and the demon that hangs off of his arm with a smirk. I can’t believe this… he promised me that he wouldn’t hurt me and he has. This person who was so kind, so fun to be around just… “

“No Elio… this, she-” he’s pleading, soft eyes… guilty caught in the web of seduction and can’t talk his way out of it. 

“I told you Elio, you can’t win against me. I always get what I want.” I hear the demon whisper holding onto his hand, the very hand that I have touched, the hand that has touched my body, made me feel alive when I’ve wanted to die and kept me from losing my mind when I was grieving over my father. 

I don't see the expression he gives Scarlet but I do hear him say very clearly, “I am not an object for you to have Scarlet, you don’t have shit!.”   
“I should have known!” I shake my head and scramble to my feet, running as far as I can away from them. Away from him, I need to get away before I become overtaken by my anger. The traitor I knew it then as I know it now. Oliver is nothing but a traitor, one that I let myself get close to when I shouldn’t have. 

“Elio wait! I can hear the heavy thudding of his feet and his breath as he yells my name over and over. We run along the sand, he chases after me, as my eyes sting, my lungs burn and my heart feels heavier than I have ever felt in my life, I thought Marzia had been painful but this… this is unfuckingbarable! 

I feel my feet leave the ground and as they do I want to fight him, I physically want to fight him on the sand as we go back and forth, with my hands and I do I hit every inch that I can reach. My lungs yelling out curse words at him in both italian and french.

“Elio stop it!.” I hear him say as he tries to block each one of my hits, as I pelt him on his arms, what I want to do is hit him in his beautiful lying face! His voice is forceful. 

“Why? Are you doing this to me! Stop it, you're hurting me!” I say when he grabs ahold on my wrist tightly as I swing at him again with my other hand, smacking him directly across the face. I watch his head turn and my hand begins to sting, my eyes widen with surprise, I had never hit Oliver like this before, sure we play wrestled from time to time but I had never fully hit him before. 

I thrash about some more kicking up the sand as I do some of it flying on Oliver’s head and onto his clothes as well as my own, I am livid not because of what I saw more so, he lied to me about helping me! He is helping her, he is on her side of all of this! 

“I need you to calm down for a second and just listen to me! Alright, listen… what you saw back there isn’t what you are thinking. Okay,”

“Oh so I didn’t see you tongue wrestling the dragon lady under the pier in the middle of the night! The very same woman who treats you like complete shit! You promised me Oliver, you said that you would help me catch my father’s k-”

“I am!” he grabs me by the other wrist holding them both within one of his massive hands while he pins my legs with his weight. “I am playing a game with her. Elio, I have to keep her talking. She knows things about me that could get me into hot water with the cops. She trusts me still and as long as I keep it that way, I can use it to our advantage, we need to know what the cops are doing at all times. See what leads they have and who they are looking for still. What you saw me doing was an act Elio, I do not like Scarlet, she is not my friend, she is not some woman I want to have a relationship with, romantic, sexual or otherwise. I am here to help you Elio and I can only do that if you will allow me to prove to you that you can trust me.”

My brain is so confused right now it is starting to physically hurt. I try to process what he is saying to me without getting my feelings in the way of this.

“You have a funny way of showing it.” 

I mutter seething as I shove him away from me and get up out of the sand, walking as far away from him as I can. 

"Elio!" 

I ignore him and keep walking to see how far I can go before my legs become tired and I have to stop plopping my ass on the sand. My arms wrapped around my knees, I try to make sense of what I just saw with my own eyes. The way his arms were around her, in her hair… the passion in it. 

How could he do that to me? Being with her…. She isn't a good person, I haven't even known her that long and I can sense it. There is something off about her but he refuses to see it.

If he refuses to see it then why would he have told you everything about the cartel if he wasn’t serious about helping you Elio? Think about it, you know he is telling the truth. You are just letting your crush for him cloud your mind and turn him against you.

“Why the fuck is she even here? How did she find us? And what I am supposed to do now? Oliver said that I needed to stay away from her and now, she is directly here. None of this makes any sense I am so fucking confused!” 

“Poor Elio. so lost so alone and so helpless.”   
“What the fuck do you want?” I mutter in anger staring out at the water not bothering to see who it is. 

“I tried to warn you at the party. Oliver is mine and he always will be mine, you are so young why don’t you mind someone your own age to fuck with. Then you won’t be dragged around by a man who doesn’t give a shit about you. I mean after all…. He did run away from the house after your father was killed.”

“You’re wrong he does care about me.” I snap back, I turn my head to the left and see the bitche’s shoes in my peripheral vision. “And how to hell do you know Oliver ran from my house? If you left at midnight?”

“Oh dear… he didn’t tell you did he?” 

She comes over to my front and the dragon lady crouches down in front of me coming a mere centimeter from my face. Her lips puckered. “Aww pobre bebé,” she coos at me. “Who do you think he came to and told everything that happened? And why do you think I am here now? Hmmm. he called me.”

“NO. that can’t be true, if it was he would have told me about that. We talked about everything together. He told me that you were a bad lady and that you weren’t friends.” 

She pulls back and claps her hands, she gives a laugh that I swear sounds like the devil himself was possessing her and shakes her head. 

“Do you really think you and him are tight knit friends? now since, you both hung out at that stupid party for a night. Ha! Wake up boy! He is an escort. It is his job to make you like him, to make you believe that you are worth something for money! He doesn’t care about you so my advice to you is… go home Elio where you belong, forget about Oliver and live your damn life without him. Go find you some pretty girl in Italy somewhere fuck her brains out and just forget that you ever saw my man.” 

Get away from her now! My mind screamed at me while my heart was trying to make sense of things. 

I don’t know what possessed me to do it but I shove Scarlet back on her ass hard, and run away from her taking off back towards the house. I wasn’t going to listen to it anymore, she was lying, she had to be but a part of me had to know it to be true. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have left me there with my father on my own, he wouldn’t have ran away if he cared about me he would have stayed with me! 

*************

The moment I am up those stairs and going through the door Oliver is there pacing the floor until he sees me. He is about to say something, but I don’t let him as I grab the chain around my neck and jerk it off. 

“This belongs to you, I found it in my bedroom you can give it to your girlfriend. You two truly belong with each other, and for future reference Oliver, don’t make promises that you can’t keep to people and don’t play with people’s feelings if you don’t mean something. Then fucking say what you mean instead of dragging shit out and baiting me on a hook like a worm! I will find my father’s killer myself. I don’t need you.” 

I throw the necklace across the room not caring that it hits Oliver’s body and lands on the table, a confused look comes about his face and his eyes widen, and he opens his mouth again. This time he speaks.

“What did she tell you? Whatever it was you can’t believe her Elio, she is a known liar.” 

“Oh really? Well she seems to think you are a liar too and how do you expect me to believe anything you say when you made me like you for money.” 

“I have never lied to you Elio, have I kept certain things from you? Sure. yes, I did to keep you out of this shit. But now, you are dead in the center of something that I am trying to protect you from! Scarlet will not bat an eyelash Elio, she will fucking kill you if you do not listen to me.”

“No I am done listening to you or anyone! I don’t know what the truth is? The cops say my papa killed himself, you say he was murdered, I think he was murdered by someone who hated him. But… enough, I’m not doing this Oliver I can’t, I’m going home and don’t you dare try to stop me.” 

“Would you stop and listen for just a se……”

But I don't. I walk right out the door with what money I have left in my wallet and walk out the door just as Scarlet is making her way up the porch steps, slowly. An innocent look in her eyes, her voice ever bit of fake as her kindness.

“Leaving so soon Elio?” 

I don’t dare look at her, I don’t need to. I can feel her smugness looming over my shoulders. It pisses me off even more and hurts. I need to get the fuck away from both of them.

Oliver tries to stop me but I jerk away and take off down the stairs, going off into the night with nothing but my box of cold food that I had from yesterday. A confused mind, and an even more hurt heart than I had when I came here. 

**************  
Seattle, Police station 

Detective Danvers

I was feeling pretty good today about the direction that we were going with the case. We had ruled out a few more suspects, Miranda’s alibi pretty much checked out. so there was no reason to look into her anymore but I was chopping at the bit to dig my detective skills into this Oliver guy to see what was up. However, my partner was stuck on the other suspects, mainly the cartel people. He has a hunch that he won’t even share with me.

“Okay so we have ruled out Miranda, Samuel’s wife and the son. I looked at their alibis and they checked out I got the blood back from the knife, as well as the fingerprints.”

“And?” he motions for me to elaborate. 

“It was Samuel’s blood on the knife, the lock of hair is still at the lab being analysed and the fingerprints on the countertops are connected to a guy named Darius Garcia.”

I watch his eyebrows go up and he starts shifting through a file on his desk and pulls out a criminal record for Darius Garcia. 

“Darius Garcia. Age 35 used to work as a bodyguard at a club for five years before he got into the drug business. Had prior reckless driving, several parking tickets, drug possession, aggravated assault, robberies and a whole string of other things. The wrap sheet is as long as my arm." 

I shift on my feet and put my hands in my pockets. 

"What is it Danvers?" 

"I want to check out Oliver Willows something-"

"Elizabeth." I turn around to see one of our forensics people standing there with a blue folder in her hands and I grin. 

"Hey Sammy what do you have for me?" I have hope in my voice as I walk over to her, and stand next to her as she opens the file revealing the results. 

"Okay, so I checked the hair and it belonged to a guy named Oliver Willows and there were no traces of blood anywhere. But whoever this guy is I can tell you he takes really good care of his hair.” 

“Thank you Sammy you're the best!” 

“I know.” the small mexican girl beams. “Oh and by the way, you still owe me a dinner for that bet we made against the Yankees the other day.” 

“Deal. thanks again.” 

I walk over to my partner with a wide grin across my face slapping the folder down on my desk and plop down in my seat for a moment as he looks at me with a questioning eyebrow. 

“What?” 

“We got a lead. The hair found belongs to this Oliver Willows, I say we follow it and see where it leads. He was at the party, we have the guest list, his hair was found in the house. Let’s track him down.” 

“I want to look at Darius first then we can check out Oliver.” 

“Cater what is wrong? We have a lead that could be the guy! And you have been avoiding it like the plague, do you know something I don’t. Do you know who this person is? Are you personally connected to them?”   
He looks up at me with an apologetic look and lets out a sigh. “I’m just stressed out. I’m not sleeping very well Elizabeth. I also already talked to Oliver and the guy was very forthcoming; he said that he was there at the party, he revealed that he was a friend of Samuel’s he revealed staying at the party and we also have the recording of his voice calling 911. Now, you tell me… is Oliver worth looking into when his voice sounds generally distressed and with him-”

“Okay! You don’t have to tell me anymore man! You’re right.” I snap with a chuckle and Carter laughs at me, flipping his toothpick to the left side of his mouth. “Jeez talk anymore about this dude and I’m gonna start to think you have a crush on him.” 

“Oh you don’t want to go down that road Danvers.” he smirks in a playful manner, his mood lightening a bit as I teased him. But I couldn’t help the feeling that there was more to the Oliver story that he wasn’t telling me. 

So while he was off checking out Darius, I dedicated my lunch hour of looking into Oliver Willows myself.


End file.
